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THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 


OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 


"  I  am  glad,"  she  said  softly,  "  that  there  is  going  to  be  one  more 
evening,  even  though  it  is  all  make-believe." 

[Frontispiece*     See  p.  237 


THE 

Kingdom  of  Earth 

By  ANTHONY   PARTRIDGE 

Author  of  "  Passers-By,"  "The  Distributors,"  etc. 


WITH  FOUR  ILLUSTRATIONS 
BY  A.  B.  WENZELL 


A.  L.  BURT   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1907,  1908, 
BY  THE  McCtuRE  COMPANY. 

Copyright,  1909, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,   AND  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved 

Published  May,  1909 
Eighth  Printing 


2131975 


CHAPTER  I 

THEY  sat  side  by  side  on  one  of  the  many  seats  which 
fringed  the  tiny  lake  high  up  among  the  mountains. 
The  sun  shone  down  upon  them  from  a  cloudless  sky. 
A  little  band  on  the  balcony  played  the  liveliest  of  music. 
The  people  around  laughed  and  talked  and  flirted.  The 
hum  of  the  skates  upon  the  clear,  black  ice  was  a  music  in 
itself.  The  man  and  the  girl  were  perhaps  the  soberest 
couple  there. 

"You  mean,"  she  asked,  breaking  a  silence  which  had 
lasted  for  several  minutes,  "that  you  are  going  away  at 
once?" 

"I  fear  so,"  he  answered.  "Not  only  that,  but  I  am 
going  back  into  a  different  life.  I  wonder,  can  you  realize 
what  it  means,  when  one  comes  to  my  age,  to  go  back  into 
a  different  life?" 

"  How  old  are  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"I  am  thirty- three,"  he  answered.  "I  feel  older,  I 
believe  that  I  look  older.  I  am  very  sure  that  after  a  few 
years  of  the  life  that  lies  before  me  I  shall  never  know  what 
it  is  to  feel  young  again." 

"Is  there  any  compulsion,  then,"  she  asked,  "about 
your  going?" 


4  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"There  is  the  compulsion  which  pulls  always  at  a  man 
who  tries  to  do  what  he  believes  is  right,"  he  answered. 
"For  myself,  I  believed  until  a  few  hours  ago  that  my  life 
was  my  own,  to  do  what  I  would  with,  to  shape  according 
to  my  pleasure.  If  I  may,  I  will  tell  you  this,  that  up  here 
among  the  mountains  there  have  come  to  me  only  lately 
ideas  and  hopes  which  were  rapidly  growing  dear  to  me; 
and  now  all  this  is  changed.  Something  has  been  thrust 
upon  me  which  I  cannot  refuse  to  take,  something  which 
means  the  abnegation  of  many  of  my  desires.  I  am  called, 
perhaps,  into  a  greater  sphere  of  life  than  any  I  could 
reasonably  have  hoped  to  occupy,  and  yet " 

"And  yet?"  she  whispered  softly. 

"  If  I  could  have  had  my  own  choice,"  he  said,  "  there  is 
another  and  a  simpler  road  which  I  would  have  chosen 
toward  happiness." 

Then  again  there  was  silence  between  them.  The  girl 
waited,  but  he  said  no  more.  Then  she  rose  and  glanced 
toward  the  clock  which  hung  from  the  little  pavilion. 

"Come,"  she  said,  "it  will  be  time  for  luncheon  in  half 
an  hour,  and  we  have  had  only  one  waltz  this  morning. 
There  goes  the  music." 

They  glided  away,  and  the  exercise  soon  brought  back 
the  colour  to  her  cheeks.  Every  one  watched  them,  for 
not  only  were  they  the  most  graceful  performers,  but  they 
were  interesting  people.  The  girl,  rich,  half  American, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  5 

popular,  and  beautiful;  the  man,  good-looking,  absolutely 
distinguished,  entirely  mysterious.  Only,  at  the  hotel  she 
was  the  friend  of  everybody,  easily  the  most  popular  and 
sought-after  person  among  either  sex.  He,  on  the  con- 
trary, affected  reserve,  lived  in  private  rooms,  and  showed 
himself  very  seldom,  except  on  his  return  from  long  skee- 
ing  expeditions,  or  on  the  ice.  They  waltzed  until  the 
music  stopped,  and  then  stood  together  for  a  moment  near 
the  wooden  steps. 

"You  are  coming  back  to  luncheon,  at  all  events?"  she 
asked. 

He  shook  his  head  gravely  and  pointed  outside,  to  where 
a  sleigh  with  four  horses,  and  laden  with  luggage,  was 
waiting. 

"I  am  posting  to  Maloya,"  he  said.  "I  want,  if  I 
can,  to  catch  the  Engadine  Express.  I  came  down 
here  because  it  was  my  only  chance  of  saying  good-bye 
to  you." 

She  looked  him  full  in  the  face.  "It  is  to  be  good-bye, 
then?"  she  asked. 

He  answered  her  with  the  grave,  uncompromising 
Puritanism  which  somehow  or  other  she  had  always 
associated  with  him.  "It  is  to  be  good-bye,  Miss  Pelli- 
sier,"  he  said,  holding  her  hand  for  a  second  in  his. 

A  few  moments  later  she  heard  the  tinkle  of  his  sleigh- 
bells  as  he  rede  away.  A  small  crowd  of  men  gathered 


6  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

round  to  help  her  off  with  her  skates,  and  afterward  she 
walked  up  to  the  hotel,  the  centre  of  a  very  lively  party 
indeed;  but  when  she  got  into  her  room  she  locked  the 
door,  and  she  was  half  an  hour  late  for  luncheon ! 

"On  the  contrary,"  the  girl  declared,  lowering  her 
lorgnette,  and  looking  up  toward  the  man  who  had 
addressed  her,  "  I  am  extremely  interested.  I  love  watch- 
ing a  crowd  of  people  at  any  time.  I  think  that  this  is 
quite  delightful!" 

"If  only  that  idiot  of  a  waiter  would  bring  our  coffee," 
her  companion  remarked,  glancing  around  irritably. 
"We  have  been  here  nearly  twenty  minutes." 

"The  poor  man  has  so  much  to  do,"  the  girl  answered 
composedly.  "The  place  is  simply  packed.  Don't 
worry  about  the  coffee,  but  go  on  telling  me  who  the  people 
are  —  the  heavy  gentleman,  with  the  pasty  face  and  the 
long  hair,  for  instance." 

Her  companion  readjusted  his  eye-glass  and  leaned  for- 
ward in  his  chair.  "He  is  a  pianist  from  Australia,"  he 
announced.  "I  have  forgotten  his  name.  The  lady 
with  him  sings  at  the  opera.  The  people  behind  are 
stock-brokers — very  rich  indeed.  They  have  a  magnificent 
place  in  Hertfordshire,  and  he  motors  up  to  town  every 
day  —  nearly  forty  miles." 

"The  small  man  with  the  pince-nez?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  7 

He  shook  his  head.     "You  have  me  this  time.     He  is 

probably,  by  his  black  tie  and  dinner-coat,  a  travelling 

American.     A    Sunday-night    restaurant    crowd    is    the 

most  cosmopolitan  in  the  world,  you  must  remember." 

"I  know,"  she  answered.  "That  is  the  most  delightful 
part  of  it.  One  can  see  one's  own  people  anywhere.  It 
is  these  other  types  which  fascinate  me." 

He  looked  at  her  curiously.  She  represented  to  him  an 
enigma  which  as  yet  he  had  made  no  progress  whatever 
in  solving.  She  was  still  a  young  woman  —  she  could 
scarcely  be  more  than  twenty-five  —  an  aristocrat  by  birth, 
wealthy,  and  astonishingly  beautiful.  She  had  read 
many  books  on  abstruse  subjects,  the  titles  of  which  even 
were  unknown  to  him,  she  was  reported  to  have  given 
large  sums  of  money  to  the  English  labour  party,  and 
she  was  a  member  of  a  very  advanced  society  of  Socialists ; 
and  with  it  all  she  was  a  painstaking  and  accomplished 
actress  at  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  exclusive  of 
London  theatres.  Her  desire  to  come  here,  her  interest 
in  this  gathering,  puzzled  him.  Yet  it  was  without  doubt 
honest.  Perhaps  she  was  going  to  take  after  her  maternal 
grandmother,  a  brilliant  French  novelist.  Some  likeness 
to  the  miniatures  and  paintings  of  that  wonderful  old  lady 
he  seemed  to  be  able  to  detect  in  the  broad  forehead,  the 
dark,  soft  eyes,  the  small  but  determined  mouth,  of  the  girl 
who  sat  by  his  side,  her  eyes  following  always  the  constant 


8  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

stream  of  people  who  passed  out  from  the  restaurant  to 

their  seats  in  the  lounge. 

The  scarlet-coated  band  began  to  play;  the  girl's 
attention  wandered  for  a  moment  to  the  music.  Most  of 
the  people  by  now  had  found  seats,  and  the  scene  was,  in 
its  way,  a  brilliant  one.  Through  the  glass  partition  which 
separated  the  restaurant  from  the  lounge,  one  could  catch 
glimpses  of  the  late  diners,  seated  at  tables  lit  with  shaded 
lamps  and  laden  with  flowers ;  the  foyer  itself  was  crowded 
now  with  groups  of  men  and  women,  the  hum  of  whose 
conversation  at  times  almost  drowned  the  music.  The 
girl,  with  her  aunt  and  escort,  occupied  seats  only  a  few 
yards  from  the  central  aisle,  under  a  huge  palm-tree. 
They  themselves  were  sufficiently  observed.  The  man, 
Colonel  Sir  Gilbert  Ferringhall,  was  known  —  by  sight  — 
to  almost  every  one.  He  was  the  representative  of  an 
ancient  and  rich  family,  a  popular  member  of  the  best 
service  clubs,  a  great  sportsman,  and  the  intimate  friend 
of  his  sovereign.  The  aunt  was  noticeable,  perhaps,  for 
nothing  but  a  quiet  and  tired  distinction.  The  girl  was 
not  only  the  most  beautiful  person  in  the  room,  but  she 
was  beautiful  in  a  wholly  singular  and  unusual  way.  Her 
neck  was  long  almost  to  a  fault,  but  it  was  white  and 
shapely,  and  around  it  there  hung  simply  one  roughly  cut, 
gleaming  blue  stone,  fastened  by  a  thin  gold  chain.  Her 
dress  was  of  the  same  shade  of  deep  blue,  toned  down  by  a 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  9 

gossamer-like  web  of  black.  Her  features  were  pale,  but 
less  with  an  actual  pallor  than  with  the  ivory  tint  which 
goes  with  perfect  health.  Her  teeth  were  whiter  and  her 
lips  more  scarlet  than  the  usual  English  type.  Her  eyes 
were  deep  and  soft,  but  she  had  a  trick  of  half  closing 
them,  as  though  she  were  short-sighted.  Her  face,  as  a 
whole,  notwithstanding  its  perfections,  seemed  to  lack  the 
animal  happiness  of  her  age  and  sex.  The  expression  of 
the  mouth,  of  the  eyes  when  she  looked  at  you,  was  elusive. 
Even  Ferringhall,  who  during  a  long  career  of  popular 
bachelordom  had  made  almost  a  science  of  his  studies  in 
femininity,  felt  himself  unable  to  place  her. 

The  stream  of  people  on  their  way  out  from  the  restau- 
rant began  to  thin.  A  hopeless  family  gathering  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  straggling  line  of  nondescripts.  The  girl 
stifled  a  yawn  and  sipped  her  coffee,  which  had  just 
arrived.  Suddenly  the  animation  returned  to  her  face. 
She  leaned  a  little  forward  in  her  seat  and  touched  her 
companion  upon  the  arm. 

"Tell  me,"  she  demanded  eagerly,  "who  is  that?" 
Ferringhall  abandoned  his  conversation  with  her  aunt, 
and  adjusting  his  eye-glass  followed  the  motion  of  her  head. 
A  tall,  well-built  man  had  issued  from  the  dining-room 
alone,  and  was  glancing  indifferently  around  in  search  of 
a  seat.  He  was  clean-shaven,  his  hair  was  as  black  as 
coal,  and  there  were  lines  upon  his  face  deeper  than  any 


10  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

which  time  alone  could  have  engraved.  His  skin  was 
dry  and  slightly  bronzed,  his  eyes  were  bright  and  pene- 
trating. He  walked  with  a  distinct  military  bearing;  his 
movements,  as  he  quietly  took  possession  of  a  chair  exactly 
opposite  to  them,  were  characterized  by  a  certain  deliber- 
ation which  seemed  almost  temperamental.  He  crossed 
his  legs,  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and  lighting  a  cigarette 
looked  leisurely  around  him.  His  eyes  met  the  girl's, 
full  of  vivid  and  unrestrained  curiosity,  not  unmingled 
with  recognition.  Ferringhall  was  bending  toward  her. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  he  said,  "  that  as  a  showman  I  am  turning 
out  a  failure.  The  man's  face  seems  familiar  to  me,  but 
I  cannot  place  him." 

"It  is  familiar  to  me,  also,"  the  girl  said.  "I  want  to 
know  who  he  is." 

Her  aunt  leaned  a  little  forward.  "  Unless  you  wish  him 
to  come  and  speak  to  us,"  she  remarked  drily,  "I  should 
look  somewhere  else  for  a  few  moments." 

"If  I  thought  that  my  looking  would  bring  him,"  the  girl 
answered,  "I  would  simply  go  on  staring." 

Ferringhall  raised  his  eyebrows  a  little  dubiously.  "I 
wonder,"  he  said,  "what  there  is  about  the  man  that 
attracts  you  so  much?" 

She  smiled  very  slightly  and  turned  toward  him. 
"Look  at  the  others,"  she  answered,  "and  look  at  him. 
Look  at  them!"  The  slight  sweep  of  her  hand  seemed  to 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  11 

gather  into  one  conglomerate  mass  the  whole  motley  crowd 
of  chattering,  laughing  people.  "  They  are  of  the  King- 
dom of  the  Earth  —  every  one  of  them.  Is  n't  it  there  in 
their  faces  ?  You  've  seen  them  go  by  in  streams.  They 
were  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  picturesque  in  their  way, 
perhaps,  but  there  is  n't  one  whom  you  'd  recognize 
to-morrow." 

"And  our  friend  opposite?"  Ferringhall  asked. 

"You  do  not  need  me  to  tell  you  that  there  are  different 
things  in  his  face,"  she  answered. 

"He  has  n't  the  appearance  of  a  saint,  exactly," 
Ferringhall  said  thoughtfully. 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  daintily.  "What  man 
has?"  she  declared,  with  emphasis. 

"To  what  kingdom  then "  he  began. 

She  smiled  a  little  vaguely.  "You  are  inclined  to  be 
elementary  to-night,"  she  remarked.  "Do  you  want 
me  to  believe  that  you  know  of  no  other  kingdoms  than 
the  kingdoms  of  heaven  and  earth  ?  " 

He  stroked  his  moustache  reflectively.  He  was  begin- 
ning to  realize  that  the  position  of  escort  to  this  young 
woman,  beautiful  though  she  was  and  unaccountably 
distinguished,  had  its  drawbacks. 

"You  mean "  he  commenced  cautiously. 

"Oh!  never  mind  what  I  mean,"  she  interrupted,  laugh- 
ing. "It  is  so  tiresome  to  explain." 


12  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

A  flash  of  inspiration  lent  venom  to  his  tongue.  "You 
think  that  he "  —  inclining  his  head  toward  the  man 
opposite  —  "would  have  understood?" 

"I  am  sure  that  he  would,"  she  answered  lightly. 

He  turned  to  talk  to  her  aunt.  Courtesy  demanded  it, 
even  if  he  had  not  himself  felt  the  necessity  of  inflicting 
some  sort  of  a  rebuke  upon  this  brilliant  but  flippant  young 
person.  But  in  the  midst  of  his  conversation  he  broke  off 
suddenly.  The  girl  and  he  exchanged  glances.  They 
had  both  been  witnesses  to  the  same  incident. 

Two  young  men,  they  were  little  more  than  boys,  had 
come  out  of  the  restaurant  arm  in  arm.  Simultaneously, 
in  the  midst  of  their  conversation,  they  had  caught  sight  of 
the  man  who  sat  smoking  alone,  with  his  head  resting  upon 
his  hand  and  his  eyes  fixed  upon  vacancy.  Apparently 
surprised,  they  nevertheless  acted  without  hesitation. 
They  drew  a  little  apart,  their  bodies  seemed  to  -tiff en, 
their  heels  came  together  as  though  by  instinct,  and  they 
bowed  very  low  indeed  to  the  man,  whose  eyes  had  now 
been  attracted  by  their  coming.  What  followed  was  the 
strangest  part  of  the  affair.  The  man  to  whom  their 
salute  was  proffered,  calmly  and  deliberately  ignore4  it; 
his  eyes,  cold  and  set,  seemed  to  look  through  the  two 
young  men.  He  neither  smiled  nor  inclined  his  head  in 
any  way.  It  was  more  than  any  ordinary  cut.  It  was  a 
deliberate  refusal  to  recognize  in  himself  the  person  to 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  13 

whom  those  two  young  men  had  bent  their  knees.  After 
the  first  moment's  pause,  they  had  hurried  on.  They 
passed  through  the  rest  of  the  room,  looking  neither  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left,  and  climbed  the  stairs.  The  girl 
looked  appealingly  toward  her  companion. 

"You  know  Mr.  Vlasto,  don't  you,  Sir  Gilbert?"  she 
said.  "You  must  go  after  them  and  find  out  who  that  is. 
I  cannot  leave  this  room  before  I  know." 

Ferringhall  was  himself  interested.  With  a  bow  to  the 
elder  lady  he  hurried  after  the  two  young  men.  He  found 
them  standing  in  a  retired  corner  of  the  entresol,  talking 
in  a  low  tone,  and  went  over  to  them  at  once. 

"My  young  friend,"  he  said,  resting  his  hand  upon  the 
shoulder  of  the  elder  of  the  two,  "you  are  in  luck.  I 
congratulate  you!" 

The  young  man  laughed  a  little  dubiously.  "I  am 
not  quite  so  sure  about  that,  my  dear  Sir  Gilbert,"  he 
said. 

"You  will  be  presently,"  Ferringhall  answered.  "Miss 
Pellisier  sent  me  to  you." 

The  young  man  looked  wistfully  down  into  the  foyer. 
"Is  she  here  to-night?"  he  asked  quickly.  "I  did  n't  see 
her.  We  've  just  come  out  of  the  restaurant." 

"Sitting  with  me  near  the  entrance,"  Ferringhall 
answered.  "You  passed  within  a  few  feet  of  us.  Come  and 
have  some  coffee.  Miss  Pellisier  wants  to  speak  to  you." 


14  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  invitation  was  a  flattering  enough  one,  but  the 
young  man  only  shook  his  head.  He  was  obviously  dis- 
turbed. "Thank  you  very  much,"  he  answered,  "but 
we  have  to  be  off  at  once.  That 's  so,  is  n't  it,  Desmond  ?  " 
he  added,  turning  to  his  companion  for  support. 

Desmond  —  a  young  American  by  his  accent  — 
answered  as  desired,  but  without  conviction.  "Sure!" 

"  In  that  case,"  Ferringhall  remarked,  "  I  will  not  detain 
you.  By  the  by,  though,  you  might  gratify  our  curiosity 
in  a  certain  matter,  if  you  won't  think  the  question 
impertinent.  Miss  Pellisier  and  I  are  both  sure  that 
we  know  the  face  of  the  man  to  whom  you  two  bowed 
as  you  came  out  of  the  restaurant  —  tall,  distinguished- 
looking  man,  sitting  by  himself.  I  wish  you  'd  tell  us 
who  he  is ! " 

The  young  man  shook  his  head  slowly.  "  I  am  afraid," 
he  said,  "  that  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  did  not  see  any  one  in 
the  restaurant  whom  I  know." 

Ferringhall  was  genuinely  surprised.  For  the  moment 
he  scarcely  realized  the  situation.  "I  mean  the  man  to 
whom  you  bowed,  you  and  your  friend,"  he  said.  "We 
were  only  a  few  yards  away." 

"It  was  a  mistake,"  Vlasto  answered  coolly.  "We 
mistook  him  for  some  one  else.  It  was  no  one  whom  we 
know." 

Ferringhall  was  silent  for  a  moment.    These  young 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  15 

cubs  to  lie  to  him!     He  turned  on  his  heel.     "Sorry  I 
troubled  you,"  he  said  curtly.     "Good  night!" 

He  turned  to  descend  into  the  crowded  foyer  and,  nod- 
ding here  and  there  to  acquaintances,  began  to  make  his 
way  back  to  his  companions.  Suddenly,  in  the  act  of 
descending  the  steps,  he  came  to  a  full  stop.  His  chair 
between  the  two  ladies  who  were  his  guests  was  occupied. 
He  raised  his  eye-glass  and  looked  once  more  incredu- 
lously in  their  direction.  The  man  who  sat  there  was 
the  stranger  in  whom  the  younger  of  his  two  companions 
had  shown  so  much  interestl 


CHAPTER  II 

IF  I  had  not  suddenly  remembered,  and  bowed  to  you," 
the  girl  remarked,  "I  suppose  you  would  have  gone 
away  without  a  word?" 

"I  myself,"  the  man  answered,  with  some  slight  hesita- 
tion, "was  not  quite  sure." 

"Then  you  ought  to  have  been  —  considering  how  nice 
1  was  to  you  at  St.  Moritz,"  the  girl  declared.  "  But,  then, 
I  think  I  should  have  been  nice  to  any  one  who  could  teach 
me  to  waltz.  Do  you  remember  those  beautiful  clear 
mornings,  with  the  sunshine  blazing  down  upon  us,  and 
the  music,  and  that  wonderful  black  ice?  I  used  to 
think  that  little  skating-rink,  with  the  mountains  all 
around,  was  the  most  perfect  place  on  earth." 

"It  was  very  beautiful,"  he  answered.  "Did  you  go 
this  year?" 

She  shook  her  head.  "  My  aunt  thought  that  she  could  n't 
stand  it,  so  we  went  to  Bordighera  instead.  By  the  by," 
she  added,  turning  to  the  elderly  lady  by  her  side,  "you  re- 
member Mr.  Peters  ?  He  was  at  St.  Moritz  two  years  ago." 

Mrs.  Pellisier  bowed  a  little  dubiously.  "I  am  very 
glad  to  meet  Mr.  Peters  again,"  she  said. 

16 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  17 

,  "My  aunt,"  Grace  Pellisier  continued,  smiling  at  him, 
"has  been  making  spasmodic  attempts  to  chaperon  me 
during  the  last  few  years.  Now,  however,  she  is  finally 
giving  it  up.  She  sails  for  America  to-morrow,  and  is 
going  to  leave  me  to  my  own  devices.  No  wonder,  aunt," 
she  added,  turning  to  her  companion,  "that  you  don't 
remember  Mr.  Peters  at  St.  Moritz.  He  was  a  most 
mysterious  person  there." 

"I  wonder  why  you  thought  that?"  he  asked. 

"Well,  you  were  staying  in  the  Kulm,"  she  replied,  "but 
one  never  saw  you  in  the  dining-room  or  in  the  lounge. 
I  never  saw  you  in  the  hotel  at  all,  in  fact.  You  were 
always  out  skeeing  on  the  mountains,  or  skating.  And 
then  you  disappeared  quite  suddenly.  The  mysterious 
Mr.  Peters,  they  used  to  call  you." 

"I  was  summoned  away  unexpectedly,"  he  remarked. 
"For  the  rest,  I  did  not  go  there  to  make  acquaintances. 
I  had  a  private  room." 

"Superior  person,"  she  laughed.  "What  did  you  go 
there  for,  then?" 

"The  climate  —  and  to  escape  from  an  uncomfortable 
situation,"  he  answered. 

"Do  you  know  that  I  have  seen  you  once  since  then?" 
she  asked. 

He  looked  at  her  quickly.  She  met  his  eyes  and 
was  suddenly  a  little  afraid  of  him.  Certainly  there 


18  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

was  nothing  kindly  in  his  expression.      "Where?"    he 

asked. 

His  eyes  held  hers.  There  was  something  compelling 
in  his  monosyllable.  She  would  have  liked  to  delay  her 
answer,  but  she  knew  that  she  was  powerless  to  do  so. 
The  man's  insistence  was  irresistible. 

"I  saw  you  driving  from  the  President's  reception  in 
Paris  once,"  she  answered.  "You  were  coming  out  of 
the  Tuileries,  and  you  had  a  soldier  on  either  side  of  your 
carriage.  That  was  why  I  was  so  surprised  to  see  —  and 
to  recognize  —  you ! " 

"It  sounds  as  though  I  were  under  arrest,"  he  remarked 
grimly. 

"It  looked  more  like  a  guard  of  honour,"  she  answered. 

"Then  it  certainly  was  not  I,"  he  said.  "You  come 
often  to  this  place?"  he  asked,  deliberately  changing  the 
subject. 

"We  are  here  for  the  first  time,"  she  answered.  "My 
aunt  does  not  care  much  for  restaurants,  but  Sir  Gilbert 
Ferringhall  is  an  old  friend,  and  this  is  by  way  of  being  a 
farewell  dinner." 

"  Where  have  you  been  living  during  the  last  two  years  ?  " 
he  asked. 

"  In  America  some  of  the  time,"  she  answered.  "  Earn- 
ing my  living  at  the  Empress  Theatre  since  then." 

"But  you  are  not  American  ?"  he  asked. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  19 

"No  more  than  you  are  English,"  she  answered,  smiling. 

He  seemed  struck  by  the  openness  of  her  retort.  "  How 
do  you  know  that  I  am  not  English?"  he  asked. 

"Little  things,"  she  answered,  "and  some  inspiration." 

"My  mother  was  an  Englishwoman,"  he  answered. 

"Your  mother  only!     And  your  name  is  Peters!" 

He  smiled.  His  eyes  swept  the  girl's  face.  For  the 
first  time  he  realized,  perhaps,  that  she  was  astonishingly 
beautiful.  "Peters,"  he  said,  "is  not  my  name." 

"You  called  yourself  that  at  St.Moritz,"  she  reminded 
him. 

"It  suited  me  to,"  he  answered. 

"  And  now  ?  "  she  asked. 

"It  suits  me  to  remain  Mr.  Peters." 

"Even  to  your  friends  ?"  she  asked,  dropping  her  voice. 

He  smiled.     "  I  have  none,"  he  answered. 

She  moved  her  fan  a  little,  and  the  words  which  reached 
him  from  the  back  of  it  were  almost  whispered.  ''You 
might  have,"  she  murmured. 

He  looked  at  her  deliberately.  "I  might  find  people 
who  would  call  themselves  my  friends,"  he  said,  "but  their 
friendship  would  scarcely  be  likely  to  survive  the  dis- 
covery of  who  and  what  I  am." 

"You  do  not  really  believe  that,"  she  murmured. 

"I  do,"  he  answered  calmly. 

She  leaned  a  little  toward  him.     Her  hand  flashed  out 


20  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

for  a  moment  only,  but  in  that  moment  it  seemed  to  gather 
into  a  common  focus  the  crowd  of  loungers  by  whom  they 
were  surrounded.  They  were  suddenly  resolved  into  a 
type,  these  women  in  their  elaborate  gowns  and  elabor- 
ately coiffured  hair,  shining  with  jewels,  the  whole  gallery 
of  their  charms  at  work  to  its  ancient  end.  The  men,  too, 
came  under  its  influence,  the  men,  pleased  with  their  din- 
ner, with  themselves,  with  their  womankind,  or  some  one 
else's  womankind,  tolerant,  fatuous,  satisfied  with  their 
appeasement  of  a  purely  earthly  hunger.  There  was  no 
scorn  in  the  girl's  gesture,  nor  in  her  looks.  Yet  the  man 
at  her  side  understood.  He  understood,  too,  that  she 
understood,  and  something  new  was  aroused  in  him. 

"This  is  the  world,"  she  said,  "which  presses  upon  us 
always,  intolerably.  Is  crime  itself  much  worse?  Why 
should  you  not  have  friends  ?  " 

There  was  without  doubt  something  new  in  the  man's 
face;  its  slow  immovability  seemed  kindled  into  a  certain 
responsiveness  as  he  met  her  eyes.  "Have  you  any  idea 
who  I  am?"  he  asked  abruptly. 

"None,"  she  answered.  "I  only  wish  to  know  when 
you  wish  to  tell  me.  I " 

Ferringhall  had  approached  with  a  murmured  word,  and 
the  stranger  at  once  rose  from  his  seat.  The  girl  intro- 
duced the  two  men. 

"This  is  Mr.  Peters,"  she  said,  "Sir  Gilbert  Ferringhall. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  21 

Mr.  Peters  taught  me  to  waltz  at  the  skating-rink  at  St. 
Moritz  two  years  ago.  I  told  you  that  I  was  sure  we  had 
met  before." 

"Mr.  Peters's  face  was  familiar  to  me,  too,"  Ferringhall 
said.  "Have  n't  I  also  come  across  you  somewhere ?" 

"Not  to  my  knowledge,"  was  the  quiet  answer.  "I 
am  afraid  that  I  have  taken  your  chair.  You  must  allow 
me  to  say  good-evening." 

"  Please  don't  disturb  yourself, "  Ferringhall  said.  "  The 
waiter  can  bring  another." 

"Don't  go,"  the  girl  said  softly. 

Mr.  Peters  bowed  an  unmistakable  adieu.  "You  are 
very  good,"  he  said.  "As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  had  for- 
gotten for  a  moment  that  I  have  an  appointment  which  is 
already  overdue.  I  am  pleased  to  have  met  you,  Sir 
Gilbert.  Your  name  is  well  known  to  me.  I  hope  that 
some  day,"  he  added,  bowing  over  the  girl's  fingers,  "I 
may  have  the  pleasure  of  another  skate  with  you." 

"Won't  you  come  to  Prince's  one  afternoon  —  or 
come  to  the  theatre  and  see  me?"  she  asked  a 
little  eagerly.  "I  am  quite  a  successful  actress  now, 
you  know." 

He  smiled,  and  seemed  about  to  ask  a  question.  Then 
he  changed  his  mind.  "You  are  very  kind,"  he  answered. 
"I  shall  be  very  pleased." 

He  left  them  after  all  a  little  abruptly,  and  the  girl's 


22  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

eyes  followed  him  intently  as  he  passed  along  the  carpeted 
way,  erect,  unbending,  the  cynosure  of  many  eyes,  owing 
to  his  height  and  the  uncommon  quality  of  his  good  looks. 
Then  she  turned  to  Ferringhall. 

"Well,  did  you  find  out?"  she  asked. 

"Nothing,"  he  answered.  "The  young  cubs  actually 
had  the  cheek  to  lie  to  me.  Vlasto  told  me  that  their  bow 
was  a  mistake,  they  had  thought  that  he  was  some  one  else. 
Still,  you  have  discovered  for  yourself." 

She  smiled  a  little  doubtfully.  "I  have  discovered," 
she  said,  "that  his  name  is  Peters." 

The  third  meeting  was  scarcely  a  meeting  at  all. 
Every  one  was  a  little  nervous  at  the  theatre;  only  a  few 
hours  before  the  performance  some  one  had  telephoned 
from  Buckingham  Palace  that  the  royal  box  would  be 
required.  The  play  was  a  new  one,  the  dialogue  difficult. 
An  extra  prompter  was  put  on.  Grace  Pellisier  alone 
remained  unmoved.  It  was  not  until  the  curtain  went 
down  upon  the  first  act  that  she  even  glanced  toward  the 
royal  party.  Then  for  a  moment  her  inimitable  composure 
seemed  to  leave  her.  She  barely  repressed  a  start,  and  a 
ridiculous  pain  caught  her  heart.  In  the  place  of  honour, 
and  in  a  uniform  ablaze  with  decorations,  sat  Mr.  Peters ! 
She  recovered  herself  and  left  the  stage.  In  the  wings 
she  met  the  manager. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  23 

"Mr.  Felce,"  she  said,  "who  is  the  guest  in  the  royal 
box  to-night?" 

"  The  Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland,  Miss  Pellisier,"  he 
answered.  "Arrived  this  morning  on  a  four-days'  visit. 
Fine-looking  chap,  isn't  he?" 

'*  Arrived  this  morning,"  she  repeated,  scarcely  conscious 
of  what  she  said. 

"Sure!  It  was  all  in  the  paper.  King  met  him  at 
Victoria.  I  saw  the  soldiers  as  I  came  up.  Say,  Miss 
Pellisier,  what  a  nerve  you  've  got!"  he  continued  admir- 
ingly. "You  were  the  only  one  who  was  n't  a  bit  shaky." 

"Nevertheless,"  Miss  Pellisier  said,  "I  should  like  a 
glass  of  water." 

The  manager  darted  away,  and  Grace  walked  slowly  to 
her  dressing-room.  If  this  were  the  Crown  Prince  of 
Bergeland,  who  arrived  on  Monday  morning,  who  was  Mr. 
Peters,  and  what  was  he  doing  at  the  Savoy  Hotel  on 
Sunday  night  ? 


CHAPTER  III 

GRACE  bought  a  newspaper  as  she  crossed  the 
street  from  her  flat  to  the  theatre  two  days  later. 
She  bought  it  not  because  she  wanted  it,  but  because  the 
newsboy  was  persistent.  In  her  dressing-room  she 
chanced  to  open  it  while  waiting  for  her  maid.  The  first 
heading  appealed  to  her.  She  read  it  intently  —  without 
a  smile.  It  was  merely  a  conventional  announcement  of 
the  departure  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland. 

She  threw  the  paper  away  from  her  and  leaned  back  in 
her  chair.  Her  eyes  were  half  closed,  her  thoughts  had. 
played  truant.  Was  it  Mr.  Peters  who  had  gone,  or  His 
Royal  Highness  the  Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland?  In 
either  case,  she  was  aware  of  a  distinct  sense  of  depression. 
Her  forehead  slowly  contracted.  She  was  conscious  of  a 
frown.  What  a  dull,  dull  world  after  all !  She  was  tired 
of  her  part,  tired  of  many  things.  Was  she,  too,  to  pass 
among  the  slaves  —  among  those  to  whom  the  days  drifted 
by  without  emotions?  The  machine-like  swing  of  the 
pendulum  —  how  she  hated  it! 

Her  maid  brought  her  a  single  letter.  She  took  it 
with  listless  fingers,  yet  the  very  sight  of  the  handwriting 

24 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  25 

thrilled  her.  It  was  bold  and  large;  the  envelope  seemed 
scarcely  large  enough  to  hold  it.  It  was  unfamiliar,  and 
yet  she  recognized  it.  She  tore  it  open  hastily.  The 
envelope  bore  the  superscription  of  a  neighbouring  hotel. 
The  sheet  of  paper  which  it  enclosed  was  covered  with 
little  more  than  a  single  sentence: 

THURSDAY. 

I  should  like  to  see  you  before  I  leave  England.     May  I  ? 

JOHN  PETERS. 

She  sprang  up  and  crossed  the  room  to  her  writing-desk. 
Her  feet  seemed  to  fall  upon  the  air.  She  drew  out  a  sheet 
of  paper  and  wrote : 

Of  course!  Come  to  my  flat  to-night,  20  Redditch  Man- 
sions. I  shall  be  in  about  11.30.  I  send  you  the  key  in  case 
you  are  there  first.  Wait  for  me! 

She  folded  the  paper  about  her  latch-key,  and 
addressed  the  envelope  to  John  Peters,  Esq.,  at  the  Savoy 
Hotel. 

"When  you  have  dressed  me  for  the  first  act,  Murray, 
you  must  take  this  across  yourself,"  she  told  her  maid. 
"Wait  until  you  are  sure  that  it  is  properly  delivered." 

The  maid  accepted  the  note  and  concealed  her  surprise. 
Whatever  she  may  have  felt  or  thought,  she  kept  it  to  her- 
self. They  spoke  of  her  mistress  as  a  genius,  and  genius 
had  the  right  to  do  strange  things. 


26  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  man  who  called  himself  John  Peters  received 
the  note  an  hour  later.  He  read  it  in  the  hall  and  went 
slowly  to  his  room.  The  key  seemed  to  burn  his  fin- 
gers. He  threw  himself  into  an  easy  chair  and  gazed 
thoughtfully  into  the  fire.  His  eyebrows  contracted  into 
a  frown. 

"Have  I  made  a  mistake?"  he  muttered.  "Does  she 
understand  ?  " 

He  hated  the  thought.  Presently,  in  a  saner  frame  of 
mind,  he  cursed  himself  for  it.  There  was  a  knock  at 
the  door,  and  Vlasto  entered.  He  looked  up  inquiringly. 

"Everything  all  right?"  he  asked. 

"Everything,  sir,"  Vlasto  answered.  "Your  Royal 
Highness  is  now  sleeping  between  Calais  and  Paris." 

John  Peters  nodded.  "I  shall  remain  here,"  he  said, 
"perhaps  for  a  week." 

Vlasto  looked  a  little  disturbed.  "So  long,  sir?"  he 
ventured  to  observe. 

"Why  not?" 

" Every  day  increases  the  risk,"  Vlasto  affirmed.  "Your 
appearance  in  the  restaurant  on  Sunday  night  staggered 
us  all." 

"It  amused  me,"  John  Peters  said,  "and  I  was  not 
recognized." 

"Ferringhall  was  curious,"  Vlasto  remarked.  "A 
dangerous  man,  Ferringhall,  tool" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  27 

"Ferringhall  was  squared,  anyhow.  The  young  lady 
who  was  with  him  recognized  me  as  John  Peters.  I 
skated  with  her  at  St.  Moritz." 

"You  mean  Grace  Pellisier?"  Vlasto  said  slowly. 

"Yes." 

"You  have  not  forgotten  that  you  were  at  her  theatre 
on  Monday  night?" 

"She  did  not  recognize  me." 

"You  are  very  rash,  sir,"  Vlasto  said  simply.  "You 
know  what  recognition  might  mean." 

"Ridicule  and  failure,  I  suppose,"  John  Peters 
answered.  "Therefore,  we  must  avoid  it.  Don't  be 
faint-hearted,  Vlasto.  We  play  to  win,  always. 
Remember  —  to  win!  There  is  no  other  possibility." 

"You  have  faith  in  your  star,  sir,"  the  young  man 
remarked,  with  a  bow. 

"  No  one  ever  succeeded  who  had  n't,"  John  Peters 
answered  firmly.  "Is  there  any  work  for  us  to  do 
to-night?" 

"No,  sir." 

"  Any  letters  from  home  ?  " 

"  None,  sir.  I  see  from  the  papers  that  there  was  some 
rioting  in  Varia  last  night." 

"Crushed  severely,  I  hope?" 

"Six  peasants  shot,  sir,  according  to  t'le  papers.  We 
shall  have  authentic  news  to-morrow." 


28  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  elder  man  frowned  heavily.  "It  seems  a  shame," 
he  said.  "Poor  fellows!" 

"There  is  no  other  way,  sir,"  said  Vlasto  firmly. 

John  Peters  stared  into  the  fire  with  knitted  brows. 
"It  is  the  same  always,"  he  muttered,  "the  same  eternal 
butchery.  Every  nation  on  God's  earth  has  had  to  climb 
to  freedom  on  the  bodies  of  her  dead  children." 

"Willingly  given,  sir,"  Vlasto  murmured. 

"Aye!  willingly  given,  but  it  is  death  none  the  less." 

Vlasto  smiled  a  little  curiously.  "There  is  no  one," 
he  reminded  his  master,  "who  runs  a  greater  risk  than  you 
yourself." 

John  Peters  nodded.  The  thought  made  him  more 
complaisant.  "I  suppose  so,"  he  admitted;  "in  fact,  my 
young  friend,  my  position,  when  the  general  flare-up  comes, 
will  be  just  a  trifle  embarrassing,  I  am  afraid.  I  must 
have  made  a  fair  number  of  enemies." 

Vlasto  looked  grave.     "It  is  true,  sir,"  he  admitted. 

John  Peters  became  instantly  more  cheerful.  "I  can 
think  of  at  least  half  a  dozen,"  he  remarked,  "who  will 
want  to  have  a  dagger  in  my  body.  Weli,  well,  it  is  some- 
thing to  have  deserved  so  much  hatred.  Can  you  keep  a 
secret,  Vlasto?  A  private  secret,  I  mean?" 

"Without  a  doubt,  sir." 

"I  am  going  to  make  a  call  —  upon  a  lady." 

"To-night,   sir?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  29 

"Now.  It  is  necessary  that  some  one  knows  where  I 
am.  I  am  going  to  20  Redditch  Mansions." 

The  young  man's  face  was  disturbed.  "  I  wish  you 
would  n't,  sir,"  he  said  simply. 

"Why  not?"  John  Peters  asked.  "Hergmann  and  his 
friends  have  followed  me  to  Paris,  beyond  a  doubt." 

"One  can  never  tell,"  Vlasto  answered.  "Hergmann  is 
a  clever  man,  after  all.  He  may  have  a  suspicion." 

John  Peters  laughed  softly.  "One  must  trust  a  little 
to  one's  star,  Vlasto,"  he  answered,  "  and  I  have  a  fancy 
that  it  is  my  star  which  is  calling  me  to-night." 

Vlasto's  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  man  whom  he  adored. 
The  change  was  there  for  him  to  see  —  something 
which  seemed  to  soften  every  feature,  to  smooth  out  the 
hard  lines,  to  fill  with  a  strange  light  the  deep,  brilliant 
eyes.  Vlasto  sighed.  It  was  like  the  shattering  of  an 
ideal  to  him,  this  first  sign  of  human  weakness  in  the 
man  of  iron. 

"I  shall  wait  for  you  here,  sir,"  he  said  simply.  "I 
shall  not  be  needed  at  the  embassy." 

John  Peters  nodded.  "I  shall  not  be  long,"  he  said, 
"or,  again,  I  may  be.  One  cannot  tell." 

He  rose  from  his  chair  and  lit  a  cigarette.  The  gloom  on 
Vlasto's  face  attracted  his  notice.  "What  is  the  matter 
with  you,  Leopold?"  he  asked  abruptly. 

"Presentiments,"  the  young  man  answered  frankly. 


30  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"  I  do  not  like  your  errand,  sir.     I  do  not  recognize  you  in 

the  character  of  a  midnight  adventurer." 

John  Peters  frowned  on  him.  His  face  was  suddenly 
dark.  "Don't  talk  like  a  fool,  Leopold,"  he  said  curtly. 
"  The  lady  whom  I  am  going  to  visit  is  of  ourselves.  Since 
when  have  I  aped  the  cattle,  that  you  should  suspect  me 
of  a  vulgar  intrigue  ?  " 

Vlasto  accepted  his  rebuke,  but  his  expression  was  none 
the  less  serious.  "There  are  intrigues  and  intrigues,  sir," 
he  said,  "and  I  hate  all  women.  They  have  bitten  the 
heart  out  of  too  many  great  men's  lives." 

John  Peters  walked  away  with  a  laugh.  But  again  it 
seemed  to  him  that  the  key  which  he  held  in  his  fingers  was 
burning  his  flesh. 


CHAPTER  IV 

HE  FIRST  knocked  at  the  door,  and  receiving  no 
reply  he  turned  the  key  softly  and  entered.  The 
room  was  empty.  He  took  off  his  hat,  unwound  the  scarf 
from  his  neck,  and  stood  looking  around  him  with  mingled 
sensations.  This  was  her  room,  her  home.  Had  it  any 
message  for  him,  he  wondered,  anything  to  tell  him  that 
he  did  not  know  concerning  her  ? 

There  were  two  sitting-rooms,  divided  by  an  arch  of 
whitewood,  but  uncurtained,  and  open  to  each  other. 
In  the  farther  one  a  small,  round  dining-table  was  covered 
with  a  table-cloth,  as  though  for  some  meal;  the  other 
apartment,  in  which  he  stood,  was  evidently  used  purely 
as  a  sitting-room.  There  were  a  piano,  some  easy  chairs, 
a  small  table,  with  a  vase  of  flowers,  and  a  pile  of  reviews 
and  newspapers.  A  fire  burned  in  the  grate,  and  the 
mantelpiece  was  laden  with  photographs,  mostly  of  women. 
He  looked  in  vain  for  any  signs  of  marked  individuality 
in  the  room.  He  glanced  at  the  books  —  a  volume  of 
Rossetti's  poems,  Pater's  "Imaginary  Portraits,"  a  New 
York  paper,  and  the  Rubaiyat,  lay  side  by  side.  Little 
was  to  be  learned  from  them.  They  showed,  indeed,  few 

31 


32  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

signs  of  use  —  the  freak  of  a  poseuse,  perhaps.  The 
newspaper  was  doubled  down  in  a  certain  place ;  the  sight 
of  a  familiar  name  attracted  him,  and  he  took  it  up.  It 
was  an  article  which  he  had  read  once  or  twice  lately.  It 
was  entitled,  "The  Most  Decadent  Monarchy  in  Europe," 
and  it  referred  to  Bergeland. 

With  a  faint  smile  upon  his  lips,  he  took  it  to  the  fire- 
place and  read  it  through  once  more,  word  for  word.  He 
read  of  the  licentious  life,  lived  by  king  and  crown  prince 
alike,  which  made  the  court  of  this  elderly  monarch  the 
most  dissolute  spot  in  Europe,  a  place  to  be  avoided  by 
all  decent  people.  He  read  of  unconstitutional  taxation, 
of  a  corrupt  ministry,  of  a  people  goaded  to  the  very  point 
of  rebellion.  When  he  had  finished  he  looked  up,  to  find 
her  standing  before  him  and  her  maid  gliding  into  the 
farther  apartment. 

"You  are  amusing  yourself,  I  trust?"  she  asked,  as  she 
removed  the  hatpins  from  her  hat. 

He  smiled  grimly  as  he  threw  the  paper  away,  but  he 
said  nothing.  He  was  looking  at  her. 

"At  least,"  she  continued,  "you  should  be  interested." 

He  frowned  suddenly,  and  his  eyes  flashed  into  hers. 
"Why?"  he  demanded. 

"I  saw  you  at  the  theatre  the  other  evening,  Mr.  John 
Peters,"  she  remarked,  unfolding  her  scarf  and  holding  it 
out  to  her  maid.  "  Do  sit  down,  won't  you  ?  You  look 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  33 

too  big  for  the  room,  standing  up.  Bring  that  easy  chair 
up  to  the  fire." 

"You  were  mistaken,"  he  said. 

"As  you  will,"  she  answered  indifferently.  "I  will  be 
mistaken  if  you  like.  It  is  all  the  same  to  me  so  long  as 
you  are  here." 

He  looked  steadily  across  at  her.  What  manner  of 
woman  was  this,  who  made  him  welcome  under  such  cir- 
cumstances? She  was  sitting  opposite  to  him  now,  her 
head  resting  upon  her  slim,  ringless  fingers,  her  eyes 
unflinchingly  meeting  his.  The  unrelieved  black  of  her 
simply-made  gown,  and  her  colourless  cheeks,  gave  her  to 
some  extent  an  air  of  physical  frailty;  yet  even  as  he 
watched,  the  colour  slowly  mantled  her  dusky  skin,  her 
eyes  softened,  and  the  mouth,  which  seemed  to  him  the 
most  beautiful  he  had  ever  seen,  was  parted  in  a  glorious, 
an  understanding,  smile. 

"Am  I  very  forward?"  she  laughed.  "But  we  have 
passed  the  days  of  children,  you  and  I.  We  belong  to  the 
race  of  those  who  understand." 

He  nodded,  and  turning  his  head,  pointed  to  the  paper. 
"You  have  read  that,"  he  said.  "You  believe  that  you 
recognized  me  at  the  theatre,  and  yet  you  asked  me  here 
to-night." 

"Certainly,"  she  answered,  "it  was  the  man  in  whom  I 
was  interested  —  not  his  sins." 


34  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"That  puzzles  me,"  he  admitted.  "I  should  have 
thought  that  a  man  and  his  sins  were  one." 

She  laughed  softly.  "Not  by  any  manner  of  means," 
she  declared.  "  I  have  known  the  most  charming  people  in 
the  world  who  have  done  the  most  shocking  things.  Half 
the  unhappiness  in  the  world  comes  from  this  stupid 
inability  to  dissociate  the  two.  Let  us  have  some  supper," 
she  broke  off  abruptly.  "Murray,  ring  the  bell  and  have 
up  some  cold  things  and  some  wine.  I  am  starving. 
Excuse  me." 

She  pushed  some  cigarettes  toward  him,  and  vanished 
into  the  inner  room,  reappearing  in  a  few  minutes  in  a 
plain  gown  of  some  deep-blue  material.  She  had  pushed 
her  hair  back  from  her  head,  and  she  seemed  to  him 
somehow  to  have  grown  younger.  A  waiter  brought  in 
a  tray. 

"You  must  have  something  with  me,"  she  insisted.  "I 
hope  you  are  not  in  a  hurry.  Remember,  this  is  when  my 
few  hours'  absolute  freedom  commences.  All  day  long  I 
have  the  thought  of  my  work  before  me.  Now  it  is  over  — 
done  with  for  the  time.  I  suppose  it  seems  very  unwhole- 
some to  you,  this  turning  night  into  day.  But  what  can 
one  do?" 

She  played  the  hostess  charmingly,  and  afterward,  as 
they  passed  back  into  the  smaller  room,  she  drew  him 
gently  toward  the  window.  She  held  a  cigarette  between 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  35 

her  fingers,  the  smoke  of  which  curled  softly  upward. 
"One  of  the  privileges  of  living  so  high  up,"  she  remarked, 
"is  that  one  need  never  draw  one's  blinds.  I  like  a  night 
view,  don't  you  ?  It  is  so  mysterious." 

"You  are  an  impressionist,"  he  remarked. 

"In  everything,  in  sensations  as  well  as  art,"  she 
admitted.  "There  is  nothing  to  be  learned  from  the 
obvious.  Come  and  talk  to  me  as  you  did  at  St.  Moritz." 

"You  have  not  forgotten?"  he  asked. 

"I  never  forget,"  she  answered.  "You  taught  me  to 
waltz,  and  in  the  intervals  we  talked  of  the  greater  things. 
You  had  a  science  of  life  —  a  whole  set  of  theories  of  your 
own.  Has  time  destroyed  them?" 

He  pointed  to  the  newspaper.  "  What  do  you  think  ?  " 
he  asked. 

She  hesitated  for  a  moment.  "You  mean  to  admit, 
then,  that  you  are ' 

He  glanced  around  the  room.  "I  trust  you  with  more 
than  my  life,"  he  answered.  "I  am  John  Valentine 
Peters,  Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland." 

She  pointed  back  to  the  paper.     "And  those  stories?" 

He  looked  out  into  the  night.  "Ah!"  he  said  softly, 
"those  stories!" 

"You  have  read  them?"  she  asked. 

"Every  line  of  them,"  he  answered,  "and  many  more 
as  bad.  I  have  a  file  of  the  papers  at  home  in  my  room." 


36  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

She  was  silent  for  several  moments.  He  wondered 
whether  it  was  to  give  him  an  opportunity  to  explain. 
She  asked  no  questions.  The  burden  of  further  speech, 
however,  she  laid  upon  him. 

"  You  believe  them  ?  "  he  asked  at  length. 

"  I  believe  you,"  she  answered  calmly.  "  What  you  tell 
me  is  sufficient." 

"  And  I  have  told  you  nothing,"  he  remarked. 

"I  have  asked  no  questions,"  she  reminded  him. 

"  The  stories,"  he  said  slowly,  "  are,  in  the  main,  true  of 
the  person  of  whom  they  are  written." 

"And  you  are  the  Prince  of  Bergeland  ?" 

"I  am,"  he  answered. 

He  saw  a  shadow  flit  across  her  face,  a  shadow  that  was 
like  the  passing  of  some  pain.  He  leaned  toward  her. 
"Don't  worry  about  me,"  he  said  softly.  "I  am  not 
worth  it.  We  are  degenerate,  all  of  us  —  we  of  the  house 
of  Bergeland,  you  know.  If  I  dared  say  so  much  to  you, 
I  would  say  this:  If  you  have  a  little  trust  in  me,  keep  it." 

She  smiled  at  him.  "That,"  she  answered,  "is  easy. 
The  only  Prince  of  Bergeland  whom  I  know  is  a  different 
person." 

"You  honour  me","  he  said  quietly.  "I  shall  not  forget 
it.  I  shall  never  forget  it.  Don't  you  think  that  we  have 
talked  enough  now  of  my  unworthy  self  ?  I  want  you  to 
tell  me  how  it  is  that  I  find  you  here  alone  —  and  about 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  37 

your  profession.  You  seemed  to  me  in  St.  Moritz  a  very 
different  sort  of  person." 

"  In  what  way  ?  "  she  asked  him. 

"  Well,  for  one  thing  you  were  surrounded  with  friends 
and  relations,"  he  answered.  "Some  of  them  were  quite 
formidable,  too.  I  cannot  imagine  how  you  managed  to 
break  loose  from  such  an  environment." 

She  laughed  quietly.  "It  was  just  that,"  she  said, 
"  which  has  made  an  adventuress  of  me.  No  girl  can  live 
her  own  life  to-day  who  is  situated  as  I  was  situated.  I 
broke  loose  because  I  had  to.  I  was  n't  particularly 
attracted  by  the  stage  —  I  am  not  now,  but  it  was  the  only 
profession  which  would  give  me  the  freedom  I  desired. 
That  is  why  I  chose  it  —  and  you  can  imagine  the  battle 
I  had." 

He  nodded.     "  You  have  been  successful,"  he  remarked. 

"Not  so  successful  as  you  imagine,"  she  answered.  "I 
am  really  rather  an  indifferent  actress,  but  I  work  hard. 
I  had  to  make  some  sort  of  a  show  to  justify  myself." 

"  And  you  are  contented  with  your  life  ? "  he  asked. 

She  raised  her  eyebrows  a  little.  "  Contented !  I  pray 
that  I  may  never  be  that,"  she  answered.  "I  am  a  little 
freer,  that  is  all,  and  I  have  broken  away  from  a  life  which 
was  little  less  than  slavery." 

"You  have  a  career,"  he  said,  half  to  himself. 

She  nodded.     "But  remember,"  she  begged,  "that  I 


38  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

chose  my  career  as  a  means  of  escape.  My  career  did  not 
choose  me.  That  is  where  I  come  to  grief.  I  have  learned 
a  good  deal,  but  the  person  who  has  to  learn  is  already 
hopeless.  I  know  the  truth  myself  quite  well.  I  have  not 
in  me  the  making  of  a  great  actress." 

"And  yet,"  he  said,  "I  do  not  believe  that  mediocrity 
in  anything  would  ever  satisfy  you.  If  you  are  as  sure  as 
you  say,  you  should  leave  the  stage." 

She  smiled.  "No,"  she  said,  "that  is  not  necessary. 
I  have  no  illusions,  you  see;  so  I  court  no  disappoint- 
ments. But  what  things  in  life  are  worth  having  must 
come  to  me  —  outside  of  my  profession." 

She  spoke  quite  calmly.  She  seemed  almost  prepared 
for  the  obvious  question.  "The  great  things  in  life," 
she  answered,  "I  suppose  they  mean  something  different 
to  all  of  us." 

"To  you?"  he  demanded. 

"  I  do  not  seek  them,"  she  answered.  "  I  pray  that  they 
will  come.  I  only  know  that  I  have  the  heart-longing  for 
them.  The  place  is  there  waiting,  but  I  do  not  know 
what  they  will  be."  She  turned  away  from  the  window 
and  looked  steadily  into  his  face.  "I  wonder,"  she  said, 
''  what  they  are  for  you!" 

He  pointed  to  the  paper.  "After  that,"  he  said,  "you 
do  me  honour  when  you  suggest  that  I  am  capable  of 
them." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  39 

"Weeds  and  flowers  grow  together,"  she  answered. 
"Oh!  you  are  capable  of  great  things  if  you  tried.  There 
is  no  doubt  of  that." 

"  Do  you  know  anything  of  the  history  of  my  country  ?  " 
he  asked  her. 

"A  little,"  she  answered. 

"Do  you  believe,"  he  asked,  "that  any  man  God  ever 
made  could  wipe  out  from  the  hearts  of  the  people  the 
shameful  misrule  of  the  last  twenty  years  ?  " 

"It  will  be  your  task,"  she  answered;  "a  heavy  one,  no 
doubt." 

She  looked  toward  the  newspaper,  and  he  understood. 
In  that  momentary  silence  the  attention  of  both  of  them 
was  suddenly  diverted.  They  looked  toward  the  door. 
A  stealthy  footstep  had  halted  outside.  They  waited  for 
a  knock.  None  came.  Grace  moved  swiftly  across  the 
room,  and  opening  the  door,  looked  out.  The  corridor 
was  empty.  She  came  back  into  the  room  with  a  frown 
upon  her  forehead. 

"I  distinctly  heard  some  one  outside,"  she  remarked. 

"So  did  I,"  he  assented,  stepping  to  the  door.  "It 
sounded  like  some  one  walking  on  tiptoe." 

"I  wonder  who  can  be  spying  upon  me,"  she  murmured 
perplexedly.  "The  electric  lights  are  all  lower  than 
usual,  too." 

"In  any  case,"  he  said,  "I  had  better  be  going." 


40  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"We  have  only  just  begun  to  talk,"  she  said  reluctantly. 

He  glanced  toward  the  clock,  and  took  up  his  hat  and 
coat  in  earnest.  "I  shall  be  here  to-morrow  night,"  he 
said.  "May  I  come  in?" 

"  Of  course,"  she  answered.     "  Listen  again  a  moment." 

She  was  looking  out  once  more  into  the  dimly  lit  passage. 
"I  am  actually  nervous,"  she  whispered.  "I  hate 
unexplained  noises." 

He  smiled  reassuringly,  but  he  knew  very  well  that,  with 
his  knowledge,  her  nervousness  would  soon  have  become 
downright  fear.  He  knew  what  she  probably  did  not, 
that  he  went  with  a  price  upon  his  head.  While  he  shook 
hands  with  her,  the  fingers  of  his  left  hand  closed  over 
something  in  his  overcoat  pocket  that  was  hard  and  cold. 

"The  lift  is  just  round  the  corner,"  she  whispered  softly. 
"Till  to-morrow  night!  I  am  going  to  lock  my  door 
quickly." 

She  stepped  back,  and  he  heard  the  lock  turn  in  the  door. 
For  a  moment  he  stood  upright  in  the  middle  of  the  corri- 
dor, looking  up  and  down,  and  listening  intently.  Then 
he  began  to  make  his  way  very  cautiously  toward  the  lift. 


CHAPTER  V 

GRACE  heard  her  visitor  announce  himself  with  a 
sudden  start,  which  almost  resembled  fear.  "Sir 
William  Wilson!"  she  exclaimed,  half  incredulously. 
"Won't  you  sit  down?" 

"You  are  very  kind,"  he  answered.  "If  I  may,  I  will 
take  this  easy  chair." 

He  made  himself  comfortable  in  a  leisurely  fashion, 
crossing  his  legs,  and  smiling  benevolently  at  her.  Cer- 
tainly no  man  in  the  world  could  have  seemed  less  likely 
to  inspire  the  sentiment  of  fear.  He  was  somewhat 
short,  and  inclined  toward  corpulence;  he  had  gray 
whiskers  and  beard,  though  his  upper  lip  was  clean 
shaven ;  he  was  dressed  in  a  respectable  frock-coat  suit, 
on  the  waistcoat  of  which  reposed  a  heavy  gold  chain. 
He  looked  exactly  what  he  was  —  a  prosperous,  middle- 
aged  shopkeeper  who,  his  prosperity  having  touched  the 
millions,  was  spoken  of  everywhere  as  a  merchant 
prince. 

"My  dear  Miss  Pellisier,"  he  said,  smiling  reassuringly 
upon  her,  "  I  have  not  come  here  to  take  up  much  of  your 
time,  or  to  ask  of  you  anything  very  terrible.  You  are,  I 

41 


42  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

know,  a  member  of  the  society  of  which  I  have  the  honour 
to  be  president,  but  you  are  a  member  of  only  the  outside 
circle,  what  we  call  the  'theorists,'  so  our  claim  upon 
you  is  not  a  very  exacting  one.  Still,  there  are  certain 
small  ways  in  which  it  chances  just  now  that  you  can  be 
of  service  to  us.  Don't  think  me  impertinent,  please, 
or  curious.  I  speak  on  behalf  of  larger  than  personal 
interests.  You  had  a  visitor  last  night." 

Grace  started  slightly.  "Yes,"  she  answered  hesi- 
tatingly; "it  was  a  Mr.  John  Peters." 

"The  nom  de  voyage,  as  I  dare  say  you  are  aware,"  he 
continued,  "of  John  Valentine  Peters,  Crown  Prince  of 
Bergeland." 

She  bowed  her  head.  "I  met  him  two  years  ago  at 
St.  Moritz,"  she  admitted.  "He  always  called  himself 
Mr.  John  Peters.  It  scarcely  seems  possible  to  me,  even 
now,  that  he  can  be  the  man  of  whom  all  these  terrible 
things  are  said." 

"It  is  the  same  man,"  Sir  William  declared  cheerfully, 
"  the  same  man,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt.  He  is  one 
of  the  most  pestilent  rogues  in  Europe,  and  has  found  his 
way  most  worthily,  I  am  bound  to  admit,  into  a  little  book 
we  keep,  on  the  cover  of  which  is  inscribed,  'Enemies  of 
the  People.'  It  is  better  for  any  man,  as  you  may  have 
heard,  that  he  does  not  find  his  name  written  inside  that 
book." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  43 

"Why  have  you  come  here  to  talk  to  me  about  him?" 
she  asked. 

"We  feel  a  certain  interest  in  his  movements,"  Sir 
William  continued,  pressing  the  tips  of  his  fingers 
gently  against  each  other.  "For  instance,  we  should 
like  to  know  whether  he  is  coming  to  see  you  again 
to-night." 

"Yes,"  Grace  answered,  with  a  catch  in  her  breath. 

"After  the  performance?" 

"Yes." 

Sir  William  seemed  pleased.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  we  have 
a  small,  a  very  small  commission  for  you.  Wre  should 
like  you  to  keep  him  here  until  half-past  one,  and  to  see 
that  he  departs  as  nearly  as  possible  at  that  time." 

"Why?"  Grace  asked  breathlessly. 

"There  are  certain  people,"  Sir  William  declared,  "who 
desire  a  little  conversation  with  him." 

"Is  that  all?"  she  demanded. 

"It  is  all  that  concerns  you,"  Sir  William  answered, 
with  the  first  note  of  sternness  in  his  voice.  Before 
she  could  frame  another  question,  he  had  taken  his 
leave  and  was  gone. 

John  Peters  detected  almost  at  once  that  something  had 
happened,  that  there  was  some  change  in  her  attitude 
toward  him.  He  had  taken  care  this  time  to  arrive  later 


44  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

than  she,  and  had  found  her  sitting  in  an  easy  chair  drawn 
up  to  the  fire,  reading  again  the  chronicle  of  his  iniquities. 
She  had  not  changed  her  gown,  and  her  hat  lay  on  the  sofa 
where  she  had  thrown  it.  When  he  entered  she  started, 
and  her  expression  puzzled  him.  Was  it  his  fancy,  or 
was  there  fear  shining  out  of  the  dark,  somewhat  distended 
eyes  which  met  his. 

"You  were  expecting  me,  I  hope?"  he  asked,  bending 
over  her  hand.  "You  had  not  forgotten?" 

"No,"  she  answered,  "I  had  not  forgotten,  but  I  am 
sorry  that  you  have  come.  I  was  hoping  that  you  might 
have  been  called  away." 

"This,"  he  remarked,  drawing  a  chair  up  near  hers, 
"requires  an  explanation.  I  see  that  you  have  been  read- 
ing again  that  eternal  story  of  my  misdeeds.  Why?" 

"Because,"  she  answered  steadily,  "I  am  trying  to 
reconcile  the  two  men,  and  I  can't.  I  ask  myself  what 
my  friend,  John  Peters,  can  possibly  have  to  do  with  — 
that  scoundrel,"  she  added,  pointing  to  the  paper.  "I 
ask  myself  whether  I  am  mad,  that  I  permit  a  man  like 
that  to  be  here  with  me  —  alone." 

"You  permit  me  to  be  here,"  he  said  gently,  "because 
you  trust  me." 

"Then  either  my  trust  is  misplaced,"  she  declared,  "or 
you  are  rot  Valentine,  Prince  of  Bergeland,  or  those  stories 
are  lies." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  45 

"Your  trust,"  he  answered,  "is  not  misplaced.  That 
is  all  that  I  can  tell  you." 

"You  drank  wine  with  me  last  night,"  she  said.  "Is  it 
true  that  you  have  drunk  champagne  out  of  the  slipper 
of  a  dancing  girl?" 

He  smiled  faintly.  "I  can't  seem  to  recall  it,"  he 
admitted.  "Let  us  put  that  down  to  a  stretch  of  the 
reporter's  imagination." 

She  pointed  eagerly  to  the  newspaper.  "The  whole 
report,"  she  exclaimed,  "is  perhaps  exaggerated?" 

He  shook  his  head.  "Not  so  very  much,  I  believe. 
On  the  whole,  I  believe  it  is  somewhere  near  the  truth." 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment.  Then  she  turned  toward 
the  table.  "Very  well,"  she  said,  "let  us  have  supper." 

He  took  his  place,  looking  at  her  a  little  curiously. 
"Supposing,"  he  said,  "I  had  been  able  to  deny  it?" 

"In  that  case,"  she  said,  "I  should  have  sent  you  away 
this  minute." 

"You  puzzle  me,"  he  declared,  filling  her  glass  with 
wine.  "  One  would  imagine  that  it  is  a  privilege  to  remain, 
not  to  be  sent  away." 

"To-morrow,"  she  answered,  "you  may  think  dif- 
ferently. Now  talk  to  me.  Tell  me  of  some  of  your 
adventures  —  not  the  very  worst  ones,  of  course.  You 
must  have  met  with  some  very  amusing  people  in  your 
wanderings." 


46  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EAKTH 

He  smiled.  "I  meet  all  sorts,"  he  said,  "but  they  are 
seldom  amusing.  I  would  sooner  that  we  imagined 
ourselves  back  at  St.  Moritz  again,  and  talked  as  we 
did  then." 

"Those  days  are  finished,"  she  answered.  "I  do  not 
wish  to  be  reminded  of  them." 

"They  may  come  again,"  he  said  softly. 

"They  can  never  come  again,"  she  replied.  "They 
belonged  to  Mr.  John  Peters  and  to  me.  Now  there  is 
a  third  party  who  has  intervened  —  and  it  is  finished!" 

"A  third  party?" 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  "John  Valentine,  Prince  of 
Bergeland." 

They  ate  and  drank  almost  in  silence.  Then,  as  they 
were  finishing,  he  leaned  across  the  table  to  her. 

"Listen,"  he  said,  "it  is  true  that  I  am  John  Peters, 
and  it  is  true  that  I  am  John  Valentine,  Prince  of  Berge- 
land. But  I  will  say  this  to  you,  and  it  is  more  than  I  have 
said  to  any  other  person  on  earth:  There  are  a  hundred 
gutter  journalists  ready  to  throw  mud  at  the  man  who 
plays  the  fool,  and  sometimes  they  miss  the  mark.  Look 
at  me,  Grace." 

She  obeyed  him,  half  unwillingly  as  it  seemed  to  him. 

"  I  have  never  drunk  wine  out  of  the  slipper  of  a  dancing 
girl.  I  do  not  love  dancing  girls.  I  have  never  been 
drunk  in  my  life.  I  have  thought  oftener,  and  with  more 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  47 

pleasure,  of  a  fortnight  I  spent  in  St.  Moritz  two  years  ago 
than  of  any  other  fortnight  before  or  since." 

"If  I  could  only  believe  you,"  she  murmured,  her  eyes 
still  intently  fixed  on  his. 

"It  is  always  easy,"  he  answered,  "to  recognize  the 
truth." 

She  sighed,  and  glanced  toward  the  clock.  Its  hands 
were  pointing  to  one.  She  held  out  both  her  hands. 

"I  am  going  to  try  to  believe  in  you,"  she  said,  "and 
because  of  that  I  am  going  to  send  you  away  this 
moment.  Don't  ask  me  any  questions.  Light  that 
cigarette  and  go!" 

"Isn't  this  a  little  sudden?"  he  remonstrated. 

"Never  mind  that.  It  is  for  your  own  sake  I  am 
sending  you  away.  Some  day  I  may  explain,  but  not 
now!" 

"I  may  come  again?" 

"Some  day,  but  I  will  write.  Please!"  She  held  the 
door  open. 

The  obvious  earnestness  of  her  manner  impressed  him. 
He  raised  her  hand  to  his  lips,  and  stepped  out  into  the 
dimly  lit  corridor. 

Grace  closed  the  door,  and  stood  for  a  moment  with  her 
hand  to  her  heart.  Then  she  moved  over  to  the  window 
and  threw  it  open,  feeling  the  need  of  fresh  air.  Exactly 
opposite  to  her  was  the  clock  of  St.  Martin's  in  the  Fields, 


48  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

and  as  she  stood  there  it  chimed  the  half-hour.  She 
listened,  gazing  through  the  darkness,  with  distended  eyes, 
at  the  illuminated  dial.  Half-past  one!  She  sprang  to 
the  mantelpiece,  and  a  sudden  horror  seized  her.  The 
little  white  marble  clock  had  stopped!  She  had  sent  him 
out  at  exactly  the  hour  she  had  been  told! 


CHAPTER  VI 

NO  MAN  upon  the  earth  had  a  larger  share  of  cour- 
age than  the  man  who  called  himself  John  Peters; 
yet  he  walked  along  that  dimly  lit  corridor  with  tense 
nerves  and  fast-beating  heart.  The  carpet  was  of  a  deep 
red  material,  the  walls  were  painted  the  same  colour,  and 
the  e  lectric  lights  were  shaded  with  red  globes.  Only  two 
or  three  were  burning  throughout  the  whole  length  of  the 
corridor,  and  the  general  effect  was  one  of  warm  and 
tremulous  darkness.  He  came  to  within  a  few  yards  of 
the  open  space  where  the  lift  was.  On  his  left  the  doors 
continued,  on  his  right  there  was  an  abrupt  corner,  where 
the  corridor  ended  and  the  open  space  around  the  lift 
began.  As  he  neared  it  he  kept  close  to  the  right  and 
began  to  whistle  softly,  but  when  he  was  about  a  yard 
away,  he  took  a  swift  step  to  the  left,  facing  half  round,  so 
as  to  meet  any  attack  from  the  corner.  His  movement 
amounted  to  inspiration.  Simultaneously  the  few  remain- 
ing lights  in  the  corridor  went  out,  something  sprang  from 
the  corner,  something  whistled  close  to  his  ear  with  a 
soft,  sickly  swish,  the  hissing  noise  of  pliant  metal  cutting 
the  empty  air.  John  Peters  leaped  to  one  side,  sprang 

49 


50  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

round,  and  caught  his  assailant,  who  was  partly  over- 
balanced, around  the  neck.  The  weapon,  whatever  it 
was,  dropped  to  the  floor.  With  his  left  hand,  John 
Peters  felt  for  the  electric-light  knob  on  the  wall,  found  it, 
and  turned  on  the  light.  So  far  the  silence  was  almost 
unbroken,  except  for  the  hoarse  breathing  of  the  half- 
choked  man. 

"For  God's  sake,  not  so  tight,"  he  moaned. 

John  Peters  relaxed  his  grip  a  little.  The  man  was  a 
baby  in  his  arms,  slim,  pale,  unmuscular.  He  was  clad 
in  dress  trousers  and  shirt;  the  remains  of  an  evening  tie 
hung  down  from  his  crushed  collar.  As  an  unarmed 
adversary  he  was  contemptible.  John  Peters  picked  up 
the  weapon  which  lay  upon  the  floor,  and  put  it  in  his 
pocket.  Then  he  dragged  his  prisoner  to  his  feet.  There 
were  still  no  signs  of  life  anywhere  about.  Suddenly, 
however,  they  heard  the  clatter  of  the  lift  coming  up. 
They  moved  instinctively  out  of  sight  along  the  corridor. 

"Look  here,"  John  Peters  whispered,  "if  any  one  gets 
out  on  this  floor  and  you  try  to  escape,  I  shall  give  you  in 
charge.  You  understand?" 

The  man  nodded.     He  was  still  breathing  heavily. 

"Pull  yourself  together,"  his  captor  continued,  "  try  to 
be  talking  to  me  naturally,  if  any  one  comes  by." 

Another  second's  waiting.  The  lift  went  up  to  the 
top  floor  and  descended  again  to  the  basement.  Once 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  51 

more  silence.  Both  men  were  relieved,  though  the  face 
of  John  Peters  remained  impassive.  Very  gently  his 
hand  once  more  rested  upon  the  other's  shoulder,  close  to 
his  neck.  The  man  shuddered.  Already  he  seemed  to 
feel  the  touch  of  those  cruel  fingers. 

"Would  you  like,"  John  Peters  asked  softly,  "to  save 
your  life?" 

The  man's  eyes  seemed  to  recede  into  his  head.  John 
Peters  looked  at  him  in  contempt.  He  was  a  poor  pawn 
in  the  great  game. 

"You  don't  mean  to  kill  me,"  he  muttered;  "you 
daren't!" 

John  Peters  laughed  almost  inaudibly,  but  it  was  still  a 
laugh.  The  man  who  heard  it  shuddered.  "Why  not? 
It  is  in  self-defence.  My  fingers  upon  your  throat  for 
thirty  seconds  would  do  it.  It  is  n't  a  pleasant  death, 
either.  Let  me  repeat  my  question:  Wrould  you  care  to 
save  your  life?" 

"Yes,"  the  man  answered,  with  trembling  lips. 

"Naturally,"  John  Peters  whispered;  "you  are  a 
coward,  and  cowards  are  afraid  to  die.  I  will  let  you  go 
unharmed  if  you  will  take  me  now,  this  instant,  to  those 
who  sent  you  out  to  kill  me." 

"Take  you  —  to  them?"  the  man  faltered. 

"Exactly,"  John  Peters  answered.  "You  must  make 
up  your  mind  quickly,  too.  We  may  be  disturbed  at  any 


52  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

moment.  These  people  are  not  all  gone  to  bed  yet,  and 
they  may  have  visitors." 

The  man  seemed  bewildered.  The  condition  seemed 
to  him  amazing.  Take  him  to  them!  Why,  it  was  to 
transform  failure  into  success. 

"Alone?"  he  asked  hoarsely. 

"Certainly,"  John  Peters  assented. 

The  man  nodded.     "  Very  well,"  he  said,  "  I  will  do  it." 

"If  you  attempt  to  escape,"  John  Peters  began  sternly, 
"I  shall  give  you  up  to  the  first  policeman  we  see." 

The  man,  who  was  recovering  his  confidence,  laughed 
shortly.  "There  will  be  no  policeman  nor  any  chance  of 
escape.  The  others  are  close  here."  He  glanced  along 
the  corridor,  and  laid  his  fingers  upon  his  captor's  arm. 

"Do  you  mean,"  John  Peters  asked,  "that  they  are  in 
this  building?" 

"In  this  building,  upon  this  floor,"  the  man  answered. 
"I  will  keep  my  word.  I  will  take  you  to  them  if  you  like." 

John  Peters  nodded  slowly.  "So  much  the  better," 
he  said.  "The  fates  played  into  your  hands  to-night 
with  a  vengeance.  Pity  they  chose  such  a  bungler  as 
you,  my  friend.  The  affair  might  have  been  all  nicely 
arranged  by  now." 

The  man  felt  his  throat.  "We  drew  lots,"  he  said 
hoarsely.  "I  wish  it  had  been  some  one  else!  I  think 
that  I  shall  never  be  able  to  swallow  again.  Come." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  53 

Softly  they  retraced  their  steps  along  the  corridor. 
John  Peters  was  thinking  with  knitted  brows.  It  was  a 
coincidence,  this  —  the  same  building,  the  same  floor. 
He  glanced  at  the  numbers.  They  were  passing  them  one 
by  one.  They  were  getting  to  the  end  of  the  corridor. 
Then  this  strong  man,  who  had  faced  his  danger  without 
flinching,  and  who  was  preparing  to  face  even  greater 
dangers,  suddenly  stopped  short.  His  guide  looked  at  him 
in  amazement.  He  felt  a  sudden  grip  upon  his  shoulder 
which  reminded  him  unpleasantly  of  the  burning  pain 
upon  his  throat.  The  face  of  John  Peters,  too,  was 
changed.  He  was  pale,  the  perspiration  had  broken  out 
upon  his  forehead.  The  splendid  impassivity  of  his 
features  was  gone.  His  mouth  was  twitching  nervously; 
his  eyes  held  a  new  thing,  the  thing  called  fear.  The 
weakling  who  was  in  his  clutch  felt  a  sudden  relief.  After 
all,  this  man  was  human.  His  terror  began  to  diminish. 

"You  are  going  to  back  out,"  he  said.  "I  thought  you 
would." 

John  Peters  ignored  his  gibe;  it  is  doubtful  whether  he 
even  heard  it.  There  was  something  else  in  his  mind; 
more  virulent  poison  was  in  his  brain.  "Where  are  you 
taking  me?"  he  demanded  hoarsely.  "What  is  the 
number  of  the  room?" 

His  guide  frowned.  "We  shall  be  there  directly,"  he 
answered.  "It  is  just  ahead." 


54  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

John  Peters  set  his  teeth  tightly  together,  and  muttered 
things  to  himself.  The  attempt  upon  his  life  seemed  to 
him  now  a  small  thing.  Was  this  hideous  thought  of  his 
possible?  He  thought  of  his  long  evening  with  her;  in 
those  few  agonized  seconds  he  realized  how  near  to  happi- 
ness he  had  come,  how  sweet  a  thing  had  found  its  way 
into  his  life.  Was  he  to  lose  it  already  ?  Was  she  nothing 
but  a  hypocrite,  an  underground  schemer,  a  Delilah  who 
had  planned  to  lure  him  into  this  danger?  He  shivered 
all  over,  and  the  man  at  his  side  was  anxious  indeed.  He 
was  sure  now  that  he  should  never  get  him  into  the  room. 
He  expected  every  moment  to  find  himself  alone,  and  John 
Peters  on  his  way  to  the  lift. 

"Tell  me  the  number  of  the  room,"  John  Peters  hissed 
into  his  ear,  and  this  time  his  guide  did  not  dare  to 
hesitate. 

"  Just  in  front  —  on  the  right  —  Number  20.  Are  you 
coming  on?" 

John  Peters  did  not  answer  for  a  moment.  He  drew 
himself  up,  and  every  muscle  in  his  body  seemed,  for  a 
moment,  straining  with  a  sort  of  physical  effort,  coexistent 
with  the  greater  struggle  which  was  tearing  his  heart.  Out 
they  came,  dreams  and  hopes  and  sentiments,  of  sudden 
enough  growth,  forced  into  a  wonderful  vitality  by  the 
man's  years  of  loneliness  and  self-repression.  They  were 
seconds  only  which  passed,  yet  it  was  a  weighty  chapter 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  55 

of  his  life.  The  woman  he  loved  had  sent  him  to  his 
death.  Worse  than  that,  she  had  deliberately  sought  him 
out,  deliberately  planned  this  assault,  first  upon  his  heart, 
then  upon  his  life.  An  indifferent  actress  she  had  called 
herself!  John  Peters  knew  better.  Never  a  false  note, 
never  a  weak  second!  And  he  was  to  have  been  her 
victim! 

They  had  stopped  in  front  of  Number  20,  the  door 
through  which  he  had  issued  only  a  few  minutes  ago  with 
the  feeling  of  a  man  who  has  passed  through  the  long 
tunnels  of  life,  and  emerged  into  the  valley  of  flowers  and 
sunshine.  A  sudden  storm  of  anger  shook  him  —  anger 
against  himself  and  fate  and  life.  His  pride  leaped  up 
in  arms,  all  his  indomitable  faith  in  his  destiny  burned 
once  more  in  his  blood.  His  guide,  looking  up  into  his 
face,  did  not  doubt  now  that  he  would  enter  the  room. 

"  It  is  here,"  he  said  simply. 

"  Go  first,"  John  Peters  said,  slipping  his  hand  into  his 
overcoat  pocket.  "Remember  that  I  am  close  behind. 
Say  nothing.  Leave  that  to  me." 


CHAPTER  VII 

JOHN  PETERS  stood  there  with  his  back  against  the 
door,  and  the  hand  which  grasped  his  revolver 
stretched  out  into  the  room.  Pitiless  as  fate  itself  seemed 
the  eyes  which  calmly  yet  alertly  took  stock  of  its  three 
occupants.  Yet  neither  his  expression  nor  his  tone  was 
in  the  least  threatening. 

"You  must  pardon  me,"  he  begged,  "if  my  entrance 
seems  a  little  melodramatic.  One  has  to  make  sure,  and 
the  attitude  of  the  young  gentleman  who  brought  me  was 
quite  alarming.  If  you  move  your  hand,  sir,  one  inch 
nearer  that  drawer,  I  shall  put  a  bullet  through  it.  Back, 
please.  Thanks!  I  shall  not  seem  boastful,  I  hope,  if 
I  remind  you  that  I  am  supposed  to  be  almost  the  best 
shot  with  a  revolver  in  Europe." 

All  the  time  his  eyes  were  taking  stock  of  them  —  two 
men  and  Grace.  One  was  short  and  dark,  with  black 
moustache  and  beard,  and  restless  eyes;  the  other  was 
older,  with  shrewd,  benevolent  face,  and  deep-set  eyes. 
Both  were  dressed  in  faultless  evening  clothes;  both 
were  apparently  men  of  nerve,  for  they  faced  the 

situation  unflinchingly.     And  behind  them  stood  Grace, 

66 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  57 

now  as  pale  as  death,  with  something  miserably  pathetic 
in  her  drawn  features,  and  a  half-defiant  light  in  her 
eyes,  which  seemed  to  challenge  his.  But  he  never 
looked  at  her. 

"I  have  come,"  John  Peters  continued,  "to  have  a 
little  conversation  with  you.  It  seems  very  possible 
that  we  might  find  interesting  things  to  discuss.  Only, 
I  am  not  comfortable  like  this,  and  my  attitude  is 
perhaps  open  to  misconstruction.  Have  you  any  ob- 
jection to  placing  yourselves  according  to  a  little  idea  of 
my  own  ?  " 

The  elder  of  the  two  men  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  We 
are  entirely  at  your  disposal,  sir,"  he  said.  "Let  us  know 

•  % 

in  what  way  we  can  meet  your  wishes." 

"Our  young  friend  here,"  John  Peters  continued 
pleasantly,  "will  place  three  chairs  there"  —  he  pointed  — 
"a  little  farther  apart,  please.  That  will  do  admirably. 
The  lady  "  -  he  looked  at  her  for  the  first  time,  unflinch- 
ingly —  "  will  be  so  good  as  to  take  that  easy  chair,  a  little 
farther  off."  His  eyes  held  hers,  and  she  obeyed,  as  did 
the  others. 

The  elder  man  held  out  his  hand  toward  a  box 
of  cigarettes.  "  Have  we  your  permission  to  smoke  ? " 
he  asked  pleasantly.  "I  can  recommend  these  cigar- 
ettes." 

"They  are  excellent,"  John  Peters  agreed.     "I  have 


58  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

been  privileged  to  try  them  myself.     By  all  means,  smoke 

—  and  now  you  will  not  mind  a  few  questions  ?" 

"Certainly  not,"  the  man  declared;  "so  long  as  you 
do  not  insist  upon  answers." 

"  Oh !  I  dare  say  we  shall  not  quarrel  about  that,"  John 
Peters  said,  quietly.  "In  the  first  place,  I  should  like  to 
know  how  to  address  you." 

"Certainly,"  was  the  courteous  reply.  "Miss  Pellisier 
I  think  you  already  know.  The  young  gentleman  whose 
acquaintance  you  made  in  the  corridor,  calls  himself,  I 
believe,  Monsieur  Defarge.  Our  friend  on  my  left  here  is 
Mr.  St.  Dalmas.  My  own  name  is  Sir  William  Wilson. 
We  have  the  pleasure,  I  believe,  of  addressing  —  Mr. 
John  Peters?" 

John  Peters  nodded.  "Sometimes  known  as  John 
Valentine,  Duke  of  Sayon,  Prince  of  Bergeland,"  he  added 
drily.  "Now,  Sir  William,  I  should  like  to  know  why 
you  four  people  dislike  me  so  much  that  you  thought  it 
advisable  to  dispense  with  my  presence  upon  the  earth. 
A  little  personal  feeling  I  might  have  understood,  but  you 
go  too  far." 

Sir  William  shook  his  head  slowly.  "My  dear  Prince," 
he  said,  "or  Mr.  Peters,  if  you  prefer,  you  misapprehend 
the  situation  entirely.  Personally,  I  have  never  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  you  before,  and  I  can  assure  you  that 
I  have  nothing  whatever  against  you.  None  of  us  have 


"  Xow,  Sir  William,  I  should  like  to  know  why  you  four  people  dislike 
me  so  much."  \Page  58 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  59 

anything  against  you.  It  is  the  Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland 
whom  we  should  like  to  remove,  in  the  interests  of  a  great 
many  people." 

"You  don't  like  my  manner  of  life,  I  suppose?"  John 
Peters  remarked. 

Sir  William  shook  his  head.  "We  dislike  it  exceed- 
ingly," he  said.  "To  tell  you  the  truth,  it  is  impossible 
for  us  to  contemplate  with  equanimity  your  accession  to 
the  throne  of  your  country." 

"I  sympathize  with  you  —  to  some  extent,"  John  Peters 
remarked.  "I  feel  that  I  should  make  a  thoroughly  bad 
king.  But  when  you  say  'we, '  you  make  me  wonder  whom 
you  represent.  Attempts  of  this  sort  have  been  made 
before  to  expedite  my  departure  from  this  world,  but  I  have 
always  been  able  to  trace  their  source.  I  must  admit 
that  you  puzzle  me«  completely.  I  see  apparently  an 
Englishman,  a  Frenchman,  a  Bergian  —  I  take  it  that 
Mr.  Defarge  is  of  my  own  country  —  and  a  young 
American  lady.  What  does  it  matter  to  you  whether  my 
country  is  well  or  ill  ruled?" 

"We  are  philanthropists,  my  dear  sir,"  Sir  William 
declared,  lighting  another  cigarette.  "We  might  be  com- 
pared to  a  gardener,  wandering  about  a  great  garden  with 
a  pruning  knife  in  his  hands.  He  lops  a  bough  here,  a 
blossom  there,  and  the  world  —  the  garden  I  mean,  is 
the  healthier  for  it." 


60  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

John  Peters  nodded  sympathetically.  "I  see,"  he  said. 
"The  idea  is  excellent.  I  should  like  to  understand  your 
point  of  view  more  clearly,  however.  At  present  I  am 
harmless  enough.  I  do  not  rule  over  anybody  or  anything. 
On  the  other  hand,  my  uncle,  who  is  King  of  Bergeland 
to-day,  is  perhaps  as  bad  a  king  as  ever  sat  upon  a  throne. 
He  indulges  in  all  the  vices  which  are  popularly  attributed 
to  me;  he  robs  the  revenues  in  a  dozen  different  ways; 
he  shows  not  the  slightest  interest  in  his  people,  and  some 
of  his  private  commercial  undertakings,  entered  upon  to 
provide  more  funds  for  his  numerous  extravagances,  have 
become  the  scandal  of  Europe.  Now  I  should  have 
thought  that  any  one  seeking  to  relieve  the  earth  of  an 

undesirable " 

Sir  William  interrupted  with  a  little  wave  of  his  hand. 
He  leaned  forward  in  his  chair  confidentially.  "  I  see  your 
point  of  view,  my  dear  sir,"  he  said,  "  and  I  can  assure  you 
that  I  appreciate  it,  but,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  we  are  all 
amateurs  at  this  sort  of  thing,  as  you  yourself  have  had  an 
opportunity  to  find  out.  We  carry  out  our  little  affairs 
ourselves,  and  we  have  not  had  much  experience.  You 
can  understand,  I  dare  say,  that  it  is  much  easier  to 
get  rid  of  a  prince,  especially  when  he  travels  a  good  deal 
incognito,  than  a  king." 

John  Peters  looked  across  the  room,  looked  into  the 
eyes  of  the  woman  who  had  made  the  world  a  different 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  61 

place  for  him.  "And  the  lady  who  acts  as  your  decoy/* 
he  asked  calmly,  "is  she  also  an  amateur?" 

She  started  as  though  some  one  had  stabbed  her,  and  a 
rush  of  colour  burned  her  cheeks.  The  look  which  flashed 
for  a  moment  across  to  him  hurt,  but  his  eyes  never 
faltered. 

"Miss  Pellisier  is  more  of  an  amateur  than  any  of  us, 
perhaps,"  Sir  William  said. 

"She  is  certainly  the  greatest  artist,"  John  Peters 
answered,  "but  let  that  go.  I  have  heard  what  you  have 
to  say.  Let  me  add  a  few  remarks.  Supposing  your 
attempt  to-night  had  been  successful.  Do  you  know  who 
would  have  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Bergeland  on  my 
uncle's  death?" 

"  One  of  your  two  cousins,  sir,"  St.  Dalmas  answered, 
"  Count  Emil  or  the  Duke  of  Latoria." 

"Exactly,"  John  Peters  agreed.  "I  know  them  both 
well,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  although  they  may  be 
cleverer  at  concealing  their  delinquencies,  they  are  not  a 
scrap  better  than  I  am.  I  believe  that  Emil  is  really 
worse." 

"They  are  not  so  brazen,  at  least,"  St.  Dalmas  declared. 
"  They  have  not  made  all  Europe  ring  with  their  follies." 

"People  do  talk  so,"  John  Peters  remarked,  with  a 
sigh,  "but  at  any  rate  you  can  take  my  word  for  it  that 
those  young  men  are  no  better  than  I  am.  That  is  where 


62  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

I  think  that  your  system  of  indiscriminate  slaughter  has 
its  weak  points-  I  can  confidently  assure  you  that  Berge- 
land  would  be  just  as  ill-governed  by  any  other  member 
of  my  house." 

"  Your  death,"  Sir  William  remarked,  "  might  serve  as  a 
warning  to  these  other  young  men." 

John  Peters  shook  his  head.  "If  it  is  really  the  good 
of  my  country  which  you  seek,  I  wonder  you  do  not  try 
to  make  use  of  other  means/' 

The  young  man,  who  had  not  yet  spoken  since  he  had 
brought  John  Peters  into  the  room,  now  leaned  a  little 
forward  in  his  chair.  "What  other  means,"  he  asked, 
"are  open  to  us?" 

"There,"  John  Peters  remarked,  "you  open  up  a  great 
subject.  Still,  you  have  history  to  refer  to.  What  has 
generally  happened  in  countries  whose  people  were 
worthy,  but  whose  ruling  race  became  degenerate  ?  " 

"Revolution,"  the  young  man  answered,  grimly. 

"Precisely,"  John  Peters  assented.  "Why  not  revolt 
against  us?" 

"Because,  as  you  know  very  well,"  the  young  man 
answered,  "Germany  would  interfere  at  once.  The 
Kaiser  does  not  like  republics  on  his  frontier." 

"Well,  I  am  not  going  to  show  you  how  to  do  it,"  John 
Peters  remarked.  "If  I  were  not  the  Crown  Prince  of 
Bergeland,  however,  I  fancy  I  could  give  you  a  few  hints." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  63 

"You  will  permit  me  to  say,"  Sir  William  remarked, 
"that  you  are  not  in  the  least  the  sort  of  young  man  I 
expected  to  find  you." 

"That  may  or  may  not  be  a  compliment,"  John  Peters 
answered.  "  I  can  at  least,  however,  go  so  far  on  my  own 
account  as  to  say  that  you  are  none  of  you  in  the  least 
like  the  bloodthirsty  band  I  expected  to  find  at  the  back 
of  my  young  assailant  here.  None  the  less  dangerous,  I 
dare  say,"  he  added,  smiling,  "because  your  methods  are 
modern.  Frankly,  I  do  not  seem  to  have  found  out  much 
about  you." 

Sir  William  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "I  considered," 
he  remarked,  "that  we  had  been  most  frank." 

"Up  to  a  certain  point,  yes,"  John  Peters  admitted; 
"but  what  are  you?  Who  are  you?  A  society,  or  just 
one  or  two  cranks  ? " 

Sir  William  was  silent  for  several  moments.  He  kept 
his  eyes  fixed  upon  John  Peters,  and  the  expression  upon 
his  face  during  those  few  seconds  underwent  a  remarkable 
change.  All  its  benevolence,  its  somewhat  middle-class 
respectability,  seemed  to  vanish.  His  eyes  grew  brighter 
and  keener.  It  wras  the  face  now  of  a  dangerous  man. 

"Prince,"  he  said,  "you  are  not  the  sort  of  person  I 
expected  to  find  you.  You  have  humour,  and  you  have 
pluck.  It  has  pleased  you  to  turn  this  affair  into  a  sort  of 
comedy,  and  we  have  been  content  to  fall  in  with  your 


64  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

whim.  But  the  time  has  come  for  us  to  speak  seriously. 
What  was  your  object  in  making  Defarge  bring  you  here  ? 
We  have  been  your  judges,  and  we  have  condemned  you 
to  die.  The  first  skirmish  has  ended  in  your  favour. 
You  have  a  certain  measure  of  advantage  for  the  moment. 
It  cannot  alter  the  end,  but  it  would  be  as  well  for  us  to 
understand  one  another.  How  do  you  intend  to  use  that 
advantage  ?  What  is  to  be  the  end  of  this  interview  ?" 

"Terms,"  John  Peters  answered,  "if  you  will  accept 
them." 

"Well?" 

"Give  me  six  months'  safety.  I  am  tired  of  dodging 
assassins.  For  six  months'  safety,  I  leave  you  here 
undisturbed  and  unquestioned." 

"  We  grant  you  that  six  months,"  Sir  William  answered, 
"  provided  only  that  your  uncle  —  who,  I  believe,  is  in 
excellent  health  —  lives  so  long.  You  see,  we  do  not  in 
any  case  intend  to  allow  you  to  ascend  the  throne  of 
Bergeland." 

John  Peters  nodded.  Then  he  rose  slowly  to  his  feet. 
"  Let  it  be  so,"  he  answered.  "  I  accept.  For  six  months, 
then,  we  are  free  of  one  another.  At  the  end  of  that  time, 
war  if  you  like." 

"War  it  must  be,"  Sir  William  said  gravely. 

John  Peters  rose  and  bowed  indifferently.  Then,  for  a 
moment,  his  eyes  travelled  over  the  heads  of  the  three  men, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  65 

to  where  Grace  still  sat  in  the  easy  chair,  with  her  face 
partly  averted.  It  seemed  so  short  a  time  since  they  two 
had  stood  together  before  the  window,  and  life  had  sud- 
denly seemed  filled  with  a  rare  and  unexpected  sweetness. 
It  was  the  same  room,  almost  the  same  spot.  A  sudden 
wave  of  anger  swept  up  in  the  man. 

"War,  by  all  means,"  he  declared,  almost  fiercely. 
"The  greatest  causes  can  be  debased  by  false  methods. 
The  world  will  never  be  set  free  by  the  assassin's  knife  or 
the  throwing  of  bombs." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

IN  a  small  but  lofty  writing-chamber  leading  out  of  a 
great  library,  an  elderly  gentleman  in  a  dark  morning- 
suit,  with  a  large  pink  rose  in  his  buttonhole,  stood  looking 
out  of  the  window.  He  had  a  gray  beard,  gray  hair  parted 
in  the  centre,  a  high  forehead,  and  long,  powerfully  shaped 
features.  He  was  smoking  a  cigar,  and  apparently  look- 
ing out  across  the  park,  but  he  turned  continually  toward 
the  door,  as  though  expecting  some  one.  It  was  opened  at 
last  by  a  man  in  dark  livery,  who  stood  at  one  side  and 
respectfully  announced  a  visitor: 

"His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Bergeland!" 

The  man  who  called  himself  John  Peters  strolled  in, 
and  after  a  formal  bow,  shook  hands  with  his  uncle. 
"  Hope  you  're  well,  sir,"  he  said. 

The  king  frowned.  "I  am  well  enough,"  he  said,  "but 
you  —  if  all  the  accounts  of  your  doings  are  true  —  you 
tought  to  have  one  foot  in  the  grave." 

"You  should  n't  believe  all  you  see  in  the  papers,  sir," 
the  young  man  answered  carelessly.  "I  never  look  at 
them  myself." 

" It 's  a  pity  that  you  don't,"  the  king  answered.  "You 

66 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  67 

might  learn  to  be  a  little  more  careful.  Your  doings 
are  becoming  perfectly  scandalous.  What 's  this  about 
Mademoiselle  Cara  and  the  duchess's  diamonds  ? " 

The  young  man  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "So  the 
journalists  got  hold  of  that,  did  they?"  he  remarked. 
"Upon  my  word,  nothing  seems  sacred  from  them  now- 
adays." 

The  king  stood  up  and  moved  back  toward  the  window. 
The  square  outside  was  crowded  with  passers-by,  for  the 
palace  stood  in  an  enclosure  fronting  a  great  public  thor- 
oughfare. He  called  to  the  prince  to  stand  by  his  side. 
"  You  see  all  those  people,"  he  said  gravely;  " my  subjects, 
yours  some  day.  Ten  years  ago,  such  a  thing  as  a  republi- 
can was  unknown  in  this  city.  To-day,  every  third  man 
who  passes  there  is  a  revolutionist." 

The  prince  was  interested.  He  looked  out  thought- 
fully upon  the  constant  stream  of  people.  "Well,"  he 
said,  "I  for  one  don't  blame  them.  If  I  had  to  pay 
to  support  a  royal  house,  I  should  be  a  revolutionist 
myself." 

The  king  frowned  heavily.  "This  is  not  a  joking 
matter,"  he  said.  "There  is  a  power  growing  up  right 
under  our  eyes  here  which  threatens  our  very  existence. 
There  is  more  underneath  it  all,  too;  I  suspect,  a  deliberate 
plot  against  the  monarchy.  Bernhardt  says  little,  but  I 
know  that  he  is  anxious." 


68  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "We  must  take 
our  chances,  I  suppose,"  he  said. 

"Rubbish!"  the  king  exclaimed  emphatically.  "I 
sent  for  you  because  I  want  you  to  understand  that  I  con- 
sider you  largely  responsible  for  what  is  going  on." 

John  Peters  looked  at  him  keenly.  "What  do  you 
mean?"  he  asked. 

"Simply  this,"  his  uncle  continued.  "The  capital  rings 
with  your  name  and  the  reports  of  your  scandalous  doings. 
All  this  is  what  those  people  work  upon.  They  keep  an 
account  of  your  extravagances,  of  your  mad  doings  in 
every  city  you  enter.  They  ask  one  another  whether  they 
are  to  pay  for  them.  They  dare  to  put  these  things 
into  print." 

"One  must  amuse  oneself,"  the  prince  answered. 
"You  yourself,  my  dear  uncle " 

"That  will  do,"  the  king  said  sharply.  "At  any  rate,  I 
do  not  flaunt  my  weaknesses.  So  far  as  I  know,  in  this 
country  you  lead  a  decent  life.  The  moment  you  leave  it, 
you  seem  to  lose  your  head  altogether.  I  sent  for  you 
because  I  am  tired  of  warnings.  I  want  you  to  understand 
this:  There  is  a  strong  party  growing  up  throughout  the 
country  that  does  not  intend  to  be  ruled  by  a 
scoundrel.  You  may  even  succeed,  if  you  go  on,  in  bring- 
ing about  a  revolution." 

The  prince  was  silent  for  a  moment.     "Yes,"  he  said 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  69 

thoughtfully,  "I  suppose  I  am  unpopular  here.  But 
a  revolution  —  it  always  needs  a  genius  to  bring 
about  that." 

"The  genius  may  appear,"  the  king  said  drily.  "The 
man  and  the  moment  generally  arrive  together.  There  is 
only  one  thing  you  can  do  to  restore  your  popularity." 

"And  that?" 

"Marry." 

John  Peters  smiled.  "Whom?  Hergmann's  daughter? 
—  he  is  the  head  of  the  People's  party,  is  n't  he  ?  It  would 
be  a  diplomatic  alliance." 

"Don't  be  a  fool,  John.  You  must  marry  either  a 
German  or  an  English  princess." 

John  Peters  shook  his  head.  "  Impossible,"  he  declared. 
"  I  have  acquired  your  wonderful  taste  as  regards  the  sex. 
To  save  my  throne,  I  could  n't  marry  a  woman  with  thick 
ankles." 

"You  are  a  downright  fool  this  morning,  John,"  the  king 
declared  angrily.  "I  request  that  you  abandon  this  tone 
once  and  for  all." 

"All  right,"  John  Peters  answered,  "but  I  won't  marry 
the  Princess  Ida!" 

The  king  laughed  softly.  "It  wasn't  proposed  that 
you  should,"  he  answered.  "Bernhardt  and  I  will  go  into 
the  matter  in  a  day  or  two.  I  wanted  to  warn  you.  And  I 
want  you  also  to  understand  this :  I  will  not  have  you  going 


70  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

about  the  city  unattended  and  incognito.  It  is  undignified, 
and  likely  to  do  you  harm." 

"Anything  else?"  the  young  man  inquired,  with  the 
air  of  a  martyr. 

"There  were  several  more  things,  but  I  have  forgotten 
them,"  the  king  answered.  "I  am  tired  to-day." 

John  Peters  regarded  him  anxiously.  "You  are  feeling 
quite  well,  sir,  I  hope?"  he  inquired. 

"There  's  nothing  the  matter,"  the  king  answered 
sharply.  "You  needn't  worry." 

"I  don't  want  to  have  to,"  the  prince  answered.  "The 
fact  of  it  is,  your  health  and  mine  are  rather  intimately 
connected  just  now." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  the  king  asked.  "Intimately 
connected,  eh?" 

The  prince  nodded.  "Fellow  tried  to  assassinate  me  in 
London  last  week,"  he  remarked.  "I  came  off  best,  and 
we  made  terms.  His  employers,  whoever  they  were,  give 
me  six  months'  grace  before  they  try  again,  provided  you 
live  for  the  six  months." 

The  king  regarded  his  nephew  in  angry  amazement. 
"  Is  this  a  joke,  sir  ? "  he  demanded. 

"  It  was  no  joke  for  me,"  John  Peters  answered  grimly. 
"It  happened  exactly  as  I  say." 

"  But  where  were  you  ?  There  was  nothing  about  it  in 
the  papers." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  71 

John  Peters  sighed.  .  "I  'm  afraid  I  must  confess  to 
being  alone  —  and  unattended,"  he  admitted.  "I  had 
been  calling  upon  a  lady.  We  won't  say  anything  more 
about  it,  as  it  is  rather  a  painful  subject.  I  managed  to 
turn  the  tables  upon  them,  but  things  might  easily  have 
gone  the  other  way." 

"  You  are  a  fool  to  expose  yourself  to  such  risks,"  the  king 
declared.  "Tell  me  exactly  what  happened." 

John  Peters  told  the  story,  making  slight  mention  of 
Grace.  The  king  listened  eagerly,  frowning  but 
attentive. 

"Do  you  suppose,"  he  asked,  "that  these  people  were 
inspired  from  Bergeland?" 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Most  likely," 
he  answered.  "I  asked  them  why  they  didn't  have  a 
go  at  you." 

"The  devil  you  did!"  the  king  exclaimed.  "How 
dared  you  put  such  a  thought  into  their  heads  ?" 

"Oh,  you're  safe  enough,"  John  Peters  answered. 
"They  explained  that  they  were  not  professional  anar- 
chists, and  a  king  took  too  much  getting  at." 

His  majesty  walked  restlessly  up  and  down  the  room. 
All  his  life  he  had  been  troubled  with  the  fear  of  assassina- 
tion. "I  will  tell  you  one  thing,  John,"  he  said,  stopping 
abruptly.  "Whoever  rules  here  during  the  next  twenty 
years  is  going  to'  have  trouble.  They  say  that  the 


72  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Republicans  will  have  a  majority  in  the  House  of  Assembly. 
What  will  happen  then  I  do  not  know." 

"They  will  cut  down  the  household  emoluments,  with- 
out a  doubt,"  John  Peters  remarked.  "I  really  don't 
think  I  'd  better  get  married.  I  might  not  be  able  to  sup- 
port my  wife." 

A  groom  of  the  chambers,  with  murmurs  of  apology, 
placed  a  small  note  in  the  king's  hand.  He  read  it  hastily 
and  crushed  it  up  between  his  fingers.  "We  will  drive 
together  to-morrow  morning,  John,"  he  said.  "For  the 
moment  I  have  affairs  to  attend  to." 

John  Peters  paid  his  respectful  adieu  and  departed. 
Crossing  the  library,  escorted  by  the  groom  of  the  chambers, 
he  passed  a  lady,  heavily  veiled.  Her  dark  eyes  sought  his 
for  a  moment,  and  then  dropped.  Momentarily  curious, 
he  looked  after  her,  but  she  had  disappeared  in  the  king's 
room.  John  Peters  smiled  a  little  bitterly  as  he  left  the 
palace. 

"So  we  pay  the  great  tax,"  he  muttered,  "young  and  old, 
rich  and  poor!  They  turn  the  wheels,  and  we  spin  or 
jump  for  their  pleasure,  like  monkeys !  Curse  all  women !" 

He  entered  his  motor-car,  which  was  waiting  at  the 
palace  gates.  "Drive  to  the  office  of  the  chief  of  the 
police,"  he  ordered. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THERE  was  little  room  for  doubt  as  to  the  friendship 
of  the  two  men  who  sat  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
somewhat  bare  writing-table.  Their  very  attitude,  even 
the  atmosphere  about  them,  seemed  to  breathe  it.  John 
Peters  was  leaning  back  in  his  chair  with  his  hands  clasped 
behind  his  head,  and  a  cigarette  at  a  rakish  angle  between 
his  lips.  His  companion,  Philip,  Baron  Bernhardt,  chief 
commissioner  of  the  police  in  the  very  cosmopolitan  little 
capital  of  Bergeland,  was  watching  him  with  the  quiet 
content  of  a  man  wholly  at  his  ease  in  congenial  society. 
And  yet  in  the  life  of  each  of  these  two  men  there  were 
many  things  hidden  from  the  other. 

"So  you  have  returned  from  your  travels,  my  dear 
prince,"  Bernhardt  said.  "Many  congratulations  upon 
your  appearance.  You  must  have  a  constitution  of  iron." 

John  Peters  smiled.  "I  am  in  excellent  health,  thank 
you,"  he  said.  "Even  the  London  fogs  have  done  me  no 
harm." 

Bernhardt  nodded  thoughtfully.  "The  London  fogs," 
he  remarked,  "are  sometimes  less  injurious  than  the  early 
morning  air  —  in  Paris." 

73 


74  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  smile  on  John  Peters 's  face  slowly  faded  away. 
"What  do  you  know  about  Paris?"  he  asked.  "This 
newspaper  rot,  I  suppose." 

"It  became  my  business,"  Bernhardt  said  smoothly 
"to  make  a  few  inquiries  over  there." 

John  Peters  looked  distinctly  annoyed.  "My  meddle- 
some uncle,  I  suppose,"  he  remarked. 

Bernhardt  smiled.  It  was  not  for  him  to  say.  "I  was 
able,"  he  said,  "to  compile  a  most  interesting  little  journal." 

The  eyes  of  the  two  men  met  for  a  moment  in  silent 
conflict.  Neither,  however,  learned  much  from  that 
friendly  duel. 

"I  suppose,"  John  Peters  said  tentatively,  "you  think  I 
played  the  fool  over  there,  eh  ?  " 

"You  had  a  gay  time,"  Bernhardt  remarked.  "There 
is  no  doubt  about  that.  The  night  at  the  Rat  Mort,  for 
instance,  and  the  breakfast  afterward  —  you  remember  ?  " 

"I  remember  nothing,"  John  Peters  answered  grimly. 
"I  never  do." 

"You  remember  the  motor  ride  in  the  morning  to 
Rambouillet?" 

"Certainly  not!" 

"Dear  me!"  Bernhardt  exclaimed.  "At  least  you  can 
settle  one  point  for  me  which  has  been  on  my  mind." 

"Well?" 

"You  know  that  you  dined  at  the  Arabassadeurs  on 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  75 

Wednesday  night.  There  was  a  Comte  de  Perrill  in  your 
party.  Give  me  an  idea  what  he  was  like.  Was  he  young 
or  old,  dark  or  fair  ?  I  have  a  reason  for  asking." 

"I  do  not  remember,"  John  Peters  answered  stiffly. 

"But,  my  dear  friend,  that  is  not  kind  of  you  I"  Bern- 
hardt  remarked.  "  It  was  at  the  Ambassadeurs  you  dined, 
was  it  not?" 

"It  may  have  been,"  John  Peters  answered.  "Those 
restaurants  are  all  the  same  to  me  when  I  get  away  from 
them." 

"You  amaze  me,"  Bernhardt  said  slowly.  "Well,  tell 
me  about  the  motor  accident,  then.  You  seem  to  have 
had  a  very  narrow  escape." 

"Look  here,"  John  Peters  said,  patting  the  desk  with 
the  palm  of  his  hand,  "I  should  like  you  to  understand 
this :  I  am  not  here  to  answer  your  questions.  If  it  comes 
within  the  scope  of  your  duty  to  play  the  spy  on  me,  you 
must  do  it,  but  I  'm  not  going  to  make  it  any  easier  for  you! 
I  came  here  to  ask  questions,  not  to  answer  them." 

"Fire  away  then,  my  young  friend,"  Bernhardt  said. 
"I'll  be  more  amiable  than  you.  I'll  tell  you  all  you 
want  to  know." 

"In  London,"  John  Peters  said,  "I  stayed  for  one  or 
two  nights  on  my  own  responsibility." 

"I  won't  ask  you  how  you  managed  it,"  Bernhardt 
remarked.  "Go  on." 


76  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"I  had  an  adventure,"  John  Peters  continued. 

"This,"  Bernhardt  declared,  "begins  to  get  interesting. 
Go  on.  What  sort  of  an  adventure  ? " 

"An  attempt,  of  a  particularly  clumsy  sort,  was  made 
upon  my  life." 

Bernhardt's  smile  never  left  his  lips,  but  his  eyes  gleamed 
behind  his  glasses.  "Ah!"  he  said,  "by  whom?" 

"There  were  a  woman  and  three  men  in  it,"  John  Peters 
said,  "and  a  more  unbusinesslike,  unpractical  set  of  con- 
spirators it  would  be  impossible  to  imagine.  They  seemed 
to  form  a  sort  of  society  for  the  purpose  of  killing  off  the 
mischievous  people  of  the  earth.  I  recommended  my 
uncle  Ferdinand  to  them,  but  they  did  n't  seem  to  see  it. 
They  like  to  take  their  victims  young." 

Bernhardt  rose  from  his  seat.  "Wait  a  minute,"  he 
said.  He  unlocked  an  iron  door  let  into  the  wall,  and 
from  an  inner  shelf  drew  out  an  album.  "Look  through 
this  carefully,"  he  said,  "and  then  tell  me  if  you  can 
recognize  any  of  the  four  people  you  speak  of.  Begin  at 
the  end.  The  earlier  ones  are  almost  out  of  date  now." 

Very  carefully  John  Peters  turned  over  the  pages  one  by 
one.  About  half-way  through  the  book,  he  stopped. 
Without  a  doubt  he  was  looking  at  a  picture  of  the  younger 
of  the  three  men,  the  one  who  had  actually  attacked  him. 
"That  is  one  of  them,"  he  said,  touching  it  with  his  fore- 
finger; "I  am  sure  of  that." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  77 

Bernhardt  glanced  at  a  number  at  the  bottom  of  the 
picture,  and  going  back  to  the  safe,  drew  out  a  small 
ledger.  He  turned  over  the  pages  rapidly.  "Here  we 
are,"  he  said;  '"Victor  Defarge,  son  of  Emil  Defarge, 
lawyer  of  Maloya.  The  whole  family  are  advanced 
thinkers.  Victor  was  a  member  of  the  working  branch  of 
the  league,  and  reported  to  be  one  of  the  secret 
party  of  the  Watchers.  Wrote  a  revolutionary  article  for 
the  Figaro,  denouncing  the  reigning  house  of  Bergeland, 
for  which  he  was  expelled  from  the  country.  Went  to 
London  and  lost  sight  of.'  That 's  our  young  man  for 
certain.  So  he  's  up  to  mischief  again.  See  if  you  can 
find  any  of  the  others." 

John  Peters  turned  over  the  pages  of  the  album  one  by 
one.  "  None  of  the  others  is  in  here,"  he  announced  finally. 

Bernhardt  looked  a  little  disappointed.  "Well,"  he 
said,  "you  seem  to  have  stumbled  into  something.  Do 
you  mind  telling  me  exactly  what  happened?" 

Once  more  John  Peters  told  his  story,  and  Bernhardt, 
although  he  had  only  the  appearance  of  a  moderately 
interested  listener,  drank  in  every  syllable.  When  the 
story  was  ended  he  was  silent  for  several  moments. 

"Your  adventure,"  he  remarked  at  last,  "is  a  most 
extraordinary  one.  I  do  not  understand  these  people  at 
all.  It  does  n't  sound  in  the  least  convincing.  It  sounds, 
in  fact,  more  like  a  huge  practical  joke." 


78  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"  I  found  it  hard  to  realize  the  seriousness  of  it  myself," 
John  Peters  admitted,  "even  when  I  sat  there  on  the 
music-stool  with  my  revolver  on  my  knees.  But,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  I  had  a  narrow  escape.  That  young  man 
struck  a  blow  at  where  I  ought  to  have  been  which  would 
have  killed  an  ox.  Fortunately  he  was  a  bungler,  or  I 
should  n't  have  had  the  ghost  of  a  chance." 

"And  you  are  sure  that  none  of  the  others  is  in  my 
album  there?"  Bernhardt  asked  meditatively. 
"Quite  sure,"  John  Peters  answered. 
Bernhardt  unlocked  a  drawer  of  his  desk  and  produced 
a  box  of  cigarettes.     He  took  one  himself  and  passed  them 
across  to  his  guest.     "I  must  smoke,"  he  said;    "you 
have  given  me  something  to  think  about." 

There  was  a  short  silence.  Then  John  Peters  asked  a 
question.  "Have  you  ever  heard  of  any  society  of 
anarchists  or  cut-throats  of  any  sort  to  which  these  people 
may  have  belonged?" 

"I  am  not  quite  sure,"  Bernhardt  answered  thought- 
fully. "I  do  not  suppose  you  happen  to  remember  it, 
but  a  few  months  ago  there  were  three  mysterious  murders 
in  one  week,  one  in  London,  one  in  Paris,  and  a  third  in 
Turin.  They  were  all  well-known  people  of  shocking 
character.  The  Duke  of  Santenan  was  one.  Of  course, 
these  crimes  may  have  been  due  to  private  vengeance,  but 
I  know  that  at  headquarters  in  Paris  there  was  an  idea  that 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  79 

some  sort  of  an  organization  was  at  work.  You  may  have 
encountered  these  people." 

John  Peters  looked  more  than  a  little  doubtful,  "They 
gave  me  the  impression  of  being  such  rank  amateurs/* 
he  objected. 

Bernhardt  did  not  seem  impressed.  "You  cannot  tell,'* 
he  answered.  "For  all  you  know,  their  plans  may  have 
been  very  craftily  laid.  The  veriest  fluke  will  sometimes 
upset  the  most  wonderfully  laid  schemes.  I  think  that  I 
shall  have  to  run  over  to  London  for  a  few  days." 

"Plenty  to  do  here,  is  n't  there?"  John  Peters  asked. 

Bernhardt's  countenance  darkened.  "There  is,, 
indeed,"  he  said.  "To  tell  you  the  truth,  my  young- 
friend,  one  would  almost  believe  that  you  have  made  up 
your  mind  never  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  Bergeland." 

John  Peters  looked  across  at  his  friend.  "Come,"  he 
said,  "this  is  plain  speaking.  What  do  you  mean?" 

"Absolutely  what  I  say.  Try  to  put  yourself  for  a 
moment  in  the  position  of  a  citizen  of  this  country.  He 
has  suffered  for  many  years  from  the  extravagance 
and  the  immoral  government  of  your  uncle,  King 
Ferdinand." 

"Rank  high  treason,  this,"  John  Peters  remarked  coolly. 

"Never  mind.  You  and  I  don't  mince  words.  What 
have  they  to  look  forward  to  from  you  ?  Nothing  much 
better,  to  judge  from  reports.  Every  little  newspaper 


80  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

makes  sensational  matter  of  your  delinquencies.  What 
sort  of  training-ground  are  the  night  cafes  of  Paris,  and  the 
worse  haunts  of  Vienna,  for  a  man  who  is  to  rule  over  a 
great  country!  What  do  you  suppose  can  be  the  feelings 
of  these  people,  who  take  note  of  your  career  and  remember 
that  it  is  they  who  will  have  to  pay?" 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  He  made  no 
reply. 

"What  puzzles  me  most,"  Bernhardt  continued,  speak- 
ing more  slowly,  and  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  his  compan- 
ion, "is  that  the  Prince  of  Bergeland,  whose  reputation  is 
fast  making  him  the  most  unpopular  man  in  the  country, 
is  not  the  man  who  has  honored  me  for  so  long  with  his 
friendship.  In  plain  words,  sir,  there  is  a  mystery  about 
you  and  your  doings  which,  so  far,  I  have  not  been  able 
to  fathom.  One  could  almost  imagine  that  you,  sir,  had 
some  definite  purpose  to  serve  by  posing  before  your  people 
as  an  unintelligent  and  dissipated  scoundrel." 

John  Peters  rose  from  his  chair.  "You  have  said 
enough,  Bernhardt,"  he  remarked  quietly. 

"Not  too  much,  I  hope?"  the  other  asked,  a  little 
anxiously. 

"No.  I  have  always  given  you  the  privileges  of  a 
friend,  and  among  them  comes  the  privilege  of  frank 
speech,"  John  Peters  answered;  "but  for  the  rest,  remem- 
ber that  there  is  plenty  to  occupy  you  here  in  the  capital. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  81 

The  revolutionists  are  gaining  strength  every  day,  I 
hear." 

"They  are  likely  to,"  Bernhardt  replied. 

"  And  this  leader  of  theirs  —  the  man  they  call  the 
Watcher  —  he  still  evades  your  spies?" 

"He  has  done  so  up  to  now,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "but 
I  am  afraid  you  do  not  realize  how  serious  the  situation 
really  is.  If  to-day  I  knew  where  to  put  my  hand  on  any 
of  them,  even  on  their  leader  himself,  I  am  not  sure  that  I 
would  dare  make  a  single  arrest.  I  believe  that  it  would 
mean  a  revolution." 

The  light  shone  for  a  moment  in  John  Peters's  eyes,  and 
then  disappeared  almost  as  quickly  as  it  had  come.  "You 
have  the  military  to  fall  back  upon,"  he  said. 

Bernhardt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  The  gesture  was 
eloquent.  "The  military!"  he  remarked.  "Do  not  put 
too  much  faith  in  those  fine  regiments  of  yours,  my  dear 
prince,"  he  said.  "I  tell  you  this  frankly:  I  do  not 
believe  that  your  soldiers  would  fire  upon  your  towns- 
people!" 

"I  am  dining  at  the  barracks  to-morrow  night,"  John 
Peters  said;  "shall  I  tell  the  general  this?" 

"The  general,"  Bernhardt  said,  "is  a  pig-headed  fool, 
but  he  may  find  out  some  day  that  my  words  are  true." 

There  was  a  hasty  knock  at  the  door,  and  a  man  entered 
from  the  office  outside.  He  spoke  with  Bernhardt  for  a 


82  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

few  minutes  in  an  undertone  and  then  withdrew.  Bern- 
hardt  turned  to  his  visitor  with  a  grim  smile. 

"The  wolves  come  nearer,"  he  remarked.  "Made- 
moiselle Clerteau's  carriage  was  attacked  by  an  organized 
band  of  men  on  leaving  the  palace  this  afternoon.  She 
was  robbed  of  her  jewels,  and  the  carriage  was  smashed." 

"Where  were  your  police,  my  friend?"  John  Peters 
asked  calmly. 

"Powerless!  The  square  was  held  by  a  thousand  people. 
I  am  sent  for  to  the  palace." 

John  Peters  took  up  his  hat.  "I  would  n't  be  in  your 
shoes,"  he  said. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  maitre  d'hotel,  with  a  final  bow  and  a  glance 
round  the  table,  departed.  John  Peters  drew  a 
little  breath  of  relief. 

"For  what  time  did  you  order  your  carriage,  Marie?" 
he  asked. 

The  girl  laughed  as  she  leaned  back  in  her  chair. 
"  Not  until  nine  o'clock!  It  is  nearly  half  an  hour.  They 
served  dinner  so  quickly  to-night!  But,  my  friend,  it  is 
.not  polite  to  frown." 

John  Peters  was  visibly  impatient.  He  glanced  at  his 
watch  and  sighed.  "Very  well,  little  one,"  he  said,  "we 
must  make  the  best  of  it.  Give  me  some  more  coffee." 

The  girl  was  very  pretty,  with  great  coils  of  red-gold 
hair,  dark  eyes,  an  elegant  figure,  and  a  toilet  altogether 
Parisian. 

"Do  you  know  that  I  should  have  been  dancing  this 
evening,  with  all  Varia  to  admire  me  and  applaud?"  she 
said,  with  a  little  pout.  "You  sent  for  me,  and  here  I  am. 
All  through  dinner  you  have  scarcely  spoken  a  word." 

"My  dear  Marie,"  he  protested,  "I  am  sorry  to  have 
torn  you  away  from  the  scene  of  your  triumphs,  but  it  was 

83 


84  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

part  of  the  bargain,  was  n't  it  ?    To-night  it  was  absolutely 

necessary.     To-morrow    night    you    can    console    your 

admirers." 

The  frown  lingered  upon  her  pretty  face.  "  It  is  n't  that 
I  mind  coming,"  she  said  slowly,  "but  it  is  you  —  who  are 
so  queer!" 

He  looked  at  her  as  one  might  regard  a  spoiled  child. 
"What  is  it,"  he  asked,  "that  I  have  done  wrong?" 

"Done  wrong!"  she  repeated.  "Why,  nothing!  But 
you  are  not  polite.  We  dine  together  here  in  a  private 
room,  there  is  no  one  else  to  entertain  me,  and  you  —  you 
say  nothing,  you  eat  and  you  drink,  and  your  eyes  look 
through  the  wall  of  the  room.  And  it  is  I  who  they  say 
is  the  prettiest  woman  in  Varia!  It  is  very  evident  that 
you  do  not  think  so." 

John  Peters  looked  into  the  flushed  face  of  his  little 
companion,  and  laughed  softly.  He  laid  his  hand  upon 
hers.  "Marie,"  he  said,  "you  must  not  feel  like  this 
about  it.  Remember  that  our  meetings  have  an  object. 
You  knew  all  about  it  before  they  were  arranged." 

She  tossed  her  head.  "That  is  all  very  well,"  she  said, 
"but  here  we  are,  alone,  and  one  would  think  that  I  was 
ugly,  or  something  to  be  avoided.  All  the  papers  say  how 
gay  you  are,  and  write  about  your  doings  in  Paris  and 
London.  Am  I  not  pretty  enough,  then,  that  you  never  try 
to  flirt  with  me?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  85 

"My  dear  little  girl,"  John  Peters  said,  smiling,  "you 
are  pretty  enough  to  steal  any  man's  heart,  but  just  the 
times  when  I  see  you,  you  must  remember,  are  times  when 
I  must  be  serious.  It  is  n't  exactly  the  season  for  love- 
making  in  Varia  just  now,  is  it?" 

"No  more  was  it  in  Paris  last  week,"  she  answered. 

He  commenced  to  laugh,  and  then,  noticing  the  nervous 
colour  in  her  cheeks,  he  checked  himself.  "You  silly 
child,"  he  answered,  "don't  believe  all  the  stories  you  hear 
about  me.  I  am  not  quite  such  a  frivolous  person  as  they 
would  have  you  believe." 

"It  does  n't  seem  to  me  that  you  are  frivolous  at  all," 
she  declared,  "or  else  you  must  dislike  me  very  much. 
We  have  dined  here,  quite  alone,  at  least  a  dozen  times, 
and  you  have  never  even  held  my  fingers  —  or  wanted  to," 
she  added,  lifting  her  eyes  to  his.  "I  think  it  is  a  little 
horrid  of  you." 

He  passed  his  arm  around  her  waist,  and  kissed  her 
lightly  on  the  cheek.  "Try  to  forget  all  those  foolish 
stories  people  tell  about  me,"  he  said.  "It  is  only  because 
I  am  the  Prince  of  Bergeland  that  they  take  the  trouble 
to  exaggerate  so  much.  This  is  no  time  for  love-making, 
not  for  Bergians,  at  any  rate." 

She  rose  to  her  feet  a  little  abruptly,  and  moving  to  a 
mirror  which  hung  from  the  wall,  began  to  pin  on 
her  veil.  "I  told  you  an  untruth,"  she  said.  "I  think 


86  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

that  if  you  ring  the  bell,  you  will  find  that  the  carriage 

is  at  the  door." 

A  few  minutes  later  they  passed  down  the  back  stairs  of 
the  restaurant  to  the  street,  and  entered  the  carriage  which 
was  waiting.  The  manager  of  the  restaurant  himself 
bowed  them  out,  and  all  intruders  were  kept  away. 
Nevertheless,  it  was  known  in  all  the  cafe's  that  night  that 
the  crown  prince  had  been  dining  in  a  private  room  at 
the  Lion  d'Or  with  Marie  Le  Mesurier,  premiere  danseuse 
at  the  Theatre  des  Vari^tes. 

They  drove  through  the  crowded  streets  in  unbroken 
silence.  John  Peters  was  looking  steadily  out  of  the 
carriage  window,  watching  the  throngs  of  people.  Was 
it  his  fancy,  he  wondered,  or  could  he  really  read  in  their 
faces  something  of  that  restless  discontent  with  which  it 
was  well  known  that  the  whole  city  was  seething?  At 
least  there  was  little  of  the  gaiety,  the  jauntiness,  of  ordi- 
nary holiday-makers  in  their  movements.  On  they  swept 
—  an  unending  stream,  men  and  women,  youths  and 
maidens,  promenading,  crowding  round  the  cafe's,  talking 
together  in  little  groups.  He  could  almost  fancy  that 
he  heard  his  own  name  upon  their  lips;  he  could  fancy 
the  contemptuous  smile  with  which  they  would  re- 
gard him  if  by  chance  their  eyes  could  see  into  his 
swiftly  moving  carriage.  He  to  rule  over  them  —  de- 
generate son  of  a  degenerate  race!  He  seemed  to  hear 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  87 

the  low  roar  of  protest  from  a  thousand  throats.  He 
was  proved  unfit! 

The  girl's  fingers  closed  upon  his.  She  was  looking 
intently  into  his  face.  "Tell  me,"  she  begged,  "what  is 
wrong  with  you  to-night?  You  look  as  though  you  saw 
ghosts  all  the  time.  Are  you  so  unhappy?" 

The  perfume  of  her  violets  filled  the  carriage,  her  curls 
touched  his  cheek,  her  fingers  —  she  had  drawn  off  her 
glove  —  burned  his  hand.  John  Peters  sat  rigid,  strug- 
gling to  hide  his  aversion.  The  whole  flavour  of  femininity 
just  then  was  hateful  to  him.  But  because  she  was  a  pawn 
in  the  great  game,  a  foolish  but  a  well-meaning  woman, 
he  spoke  to  her  kindly. 

"I  have  troubles,"  he  said,  "and  perhaps  to-night  they 
weigh  a  little  more  heavily  than  usual.  You  must  not 
bother  your  little  head  about  me.  To-morrow  evening 
you  will  be  able  to  dance,  and  sup  with  whom  you  choose 
to  make  happy." 

"I  do  not  wish  to  sup  with  anybody,"  she  said  in  a  low 
tone,  "and  I  do  not  wish  to  dance,  unless  you  come  to 
your  box." 

John  Peters  sighed.  He  was  not  a  vain  man,  but  he  was 
forced  to  understand.  "Little  Marie,"  he  said  to  her 
gently,  "I  have  not  much  heart  for  such  things  just  now. 
We  have  very  serious  things  to  think  about  —  all  of  us 
who  are  interested  in  our  country.  And  besides " 


88  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

She  nestled  quite  close  to  him.  "It  is  the  'besides'  I 
want  to  know  about,"  she  whispered. 

"I  have  had  trouble  of  my  own  just  lately,"  he  said. 
"There  was  some  one " 

"A  woman?" 

He  nodded.  "It  was  in  London,"  he  said,  "and  she 
was  not  very  kind." 

The  girl's  lips  quivered.  "She  was  a  fool,"  she 
declared  angrily.  "I  should  like  to  tell  her  so!" 

After  that  they  drove  on  in  silence.  John  Peters  knew 
very  well  that  his  companion  was  crying  softly,  but  he 
affected  to  be  unconscious  of  it.  It  was  the  safest  way. 
And  presently  the  carriage  drew  up  before  a  tall  block  of 
apartment  houses  in  one  of  the  quietest  parts  of  the  city. 
They  passed  inside  together,  and  the  concierge  lifted  his 
hat.  In  the  elevator  Marie  handed  him  her  key.  John 
Peters  was  muffled  up  to  the  mouth,  but  the  elevator  man 
stood  bareheaded.  It  was  all  part  of  the  game,  and  they 
knew  him  well  enough. 

Marie's  apartment  was  on  the  fourth  floor.  John 
Peters  turned  the  key  and  stood  aside  for  her  to  enter. 

"Good  night,  little  woman  I"  said  he  kindly.  "Run  to 
your  room,  and  remember,  on  no  account  stir  out  or  let 
any  one  in.  I  will  see  to  that" 

She  came  up  to  him  with  a  sudden  impulsive  haste,  and 
took  both  his  hands.  "I  am  sorry,"  she  said,  looking  up 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  89 

into  his  eyes,  "very  sorry,  indeed,  and  I  think  that  that  girl 
in  London  is  a  fool!" 

She  kissed  his  hands  suddenly  and  glided  away.  With 
a  queer  little  smile  on  his  lips,  John  Peters  watched  her 
pass  into  her  rooms  and  close  the  door.  Then,  descending 
another  flight  of  the  stone  steps,  he  opened  the  door  of 
another  apartment  with  a  key  fastened  to  his  chain. 
Here  he  passed  into  a  small  sitting-room,  elegantly  fur- 
nished, and  with  a  large  writing-table  at  one  end.  From 
a  drawer  he  took  out  a  small,  black  silk  mask  and  fitted  it 
on.  Then  he  carefully  removed  his  rings,  studied  himself 
for  a  moment  in  the  glass,  and  afterward  turned  out  all 
the  lights  but  one.  From  across  the  square  came  the 
slow  chiming  of  a  clock.  Almost  simultaneously  came  a 
soft  knocking  at  the  outside  door.  John  Peters  rose 
and  opened  it,  returning  at  once  to  his  seat  in  front  of  the 
writing-table. 


CHAPTER  XI 

JOHN  PETERS,  his  face  masked,  his  body  in  the 
shadow,  sat  in  the  darkest  corner  of  the  dimly  lit 
room.  Facing  him,  at  the  farther  end  of  the  table,  sat 
three  men  side  by  side.  On  the  left  was  Levitt,  editor  of 
the  Republican  Times,  spectacled,  black-bearded,  with 
massive  forehead  and  protruding  eyebrows ;  in  the  middle, 
Professor  Hoyten,  of  the  Varian  University,  a  milder  look- 
ing man,  with  white  beard  and  hair,  delicate  features,  and 
the  soft  eyes  of  the  idealist;  and  on  the  right,  the  man  who 
was  universally  named  as  the  first  president  of  the  new 
republic,  Francis  Grammont,  a  lawyer  and  a  statesman, 
dark,  saturnine,  clean-shaven,  and  one  of  the  most  eloquent 
members  of  the  Bergian  Parliament,  a  member  of  an 
ancient  family,  but  a  Republican  from  conviction  —  a 
man  strong  and  wise,  hated  at  court,  but  loved  and 
respected  throughout  the  country. 

John  Peters  was  in  the  act  of  addressing  these  three  men. 

"I  have  sent  for  you,"  he  said,  "because  I  have  had 
placed  before  me  a  full  report  of  the  last  meeting  of  the 
Republican  League  of  Watchers.  There  seems  to  be  a 
great  deal  of  discontent.  Explain  it  to  me." 

90 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  91 

"That,"  Levitt  said,  "is  easily  done.  The  younger 
members  of  our  party  are  convinced  that  the  time  has 
come  for  action.  The  people  throughout  the  country  are 
in  a  state  of  discontent.  One  hears  nothing  but  mur- 
murs against  our  wretched  government.  The  king,  in  his 
old  age,  grows  more  vicious.  The  crown  prince  devotes 
every  minute  of  his  time  to  piling  dissipation  upon  dissipa- 
tion. Your  scheme,  sir,  for  the  future  government  of  this 
country,  has  been  met  with  thunderous  applause.  Our 
agents  everywhere  come  in  with  the  same  story.  The 
country  is  ripe  for  the  blow.  We  cannot  hold  back  the 
people  whom  your  great  proposals  have  so  excited.  They 
demand  that  the  blow  shall  be  struck." 

John  Peters  was  silent  for  a  moment.  "How  do  they 
propose  to  act?"  he  asked. 

"There  is  only  one  way!"  Grammont  exclaimed,  lean- 
ing forward  in  his  chair.  "All  the  nations  of  the  world 
that  have  won  their  freedom  have  won  it  at  the  point  of 
the  sword.  A  blow  must  be  struck.  The  king  and  the 
crown  prince  must  be  removed.  I  am  not  a  bloodthirsty 
man,  but  I  say  that  this  is  a  necessity." 

"Have  you  considered/'  John  Peters  asked,  "the  inevit- 
able consequences  of  a  massacre  at  the  palace  ?  All  the 
countries  whose  friendship  was  worth  having  would  at 
once  break  off  diplomatic  relations  with  us.  We  should 
be  ostracized  by  all  Europe  I" 


•92  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Are  you  sure  about  that,  sir?"  Grammont  asked 
"The  assassination  of  the  king  and  the  crown  prince  would, 
of  course,  be  wholly  unauthorized  by  the  state.  We 
should  regret  it,  and  punish  the  murderers  —  if  they  were 
caught.  But  in  the  meantime  our  new  government  would 
be  proclaimed  in  a  perfectly  constitutional  manner. 
Would  any  one  think  it  worth  while  to  interfere  with  us?" 

"You  must  remember,"  John  Peters  said,  "that  there 
are  at  least  half  a  dozen  other  claimants  to  the  throne. 
Each  of  the  powers  would  support  one  or  the  other.  W7e 
should  become  a  plaything  for  the  powers  to  squabble 
about." 

"What,  then,  is  your  proposition,  sir?"  Grammont 
asked. 

"I  maintain,"  John  Peters  declared  firmly,  "that  our 
best  and  wisest  course  is  to  make  this  change  of  govern- 
ment a  bloodless  one.  The  elections  throughout  the 
country  are  giving  us  an  immense  majority.  Not  even  the 
king  can  keep  Parliament  from  assembling  in  a  month's 
time.  Within  five  minutes  of  its  meeting  it  can  vote  in 
the  new  government  and  demand  the  abdication  of  the 
king.  I  believe  that  when  he  realizes  the  real  position  of 
affairs  he  will  go." 

"There  would  still  be  the  crown  prince  to  be  reckoned 
with,"  Grammont  said  thoughtfully.  "For  all  his  faults, 
he  is  no  coward.  He  would  make  for  the  army." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  93 

"The  prince,"  John  Peters  declared,  "should  do  no 
mischief.  I  myself  would  see  that  he  was  taken  care  of 
for  a  little  time.  Remember,  my  friends,  that  we  are 
responsible  for  founding  a  new  chapter  in  the  history  of 
this  country.  As  the  pages  read,  so  will  our  descendants, 
for  generations,  bless  or  curse  us.  There  is  one  thing, 
remember,  from  which  a  nation  can  never  escape  —  its 
past.  That  is  why  we  at  this  moment  should  be  so  careful. 
The  blood  that  is  shed  to-day  makes  shameful  history  for 
all  time." 

"I  believe,"  the  professor  said  quietly,  "that  we  are 
listening  to  wise  words.  I  declare  myself  against  all  deeds 
of  violence,  so  far  as  they  can  possibly  be  avoided." 

"And  I  also,"  Grammont  agreed,  "but  I  doubt  very 
much  whether  we  can  keep  control  of  the  people  any 
longer.  Only  to-day  they  wrecked  the  carriage  of  one  of 
the  king's  mistresses.  The  whole  of  the  square  was  in 
their  hands,  and  there  was  no  one  to  interfere.  They 
will  be  harder  than  ever  to  deal  with  now." 

"The  king  is  an  old  man,"  John  Peters  said.  "His 
murder  would  alienate  all  Europe  and  ruin  our  cause.  I 
cannot  sanction  it.  I  go  further:  I  must  forbid  it." 

There  was  a  short,  tense  silence.  The  three  men  looked 
at  one  another  in  some  disquiet.  At  the  head  of  the  table 
John  Peters  sat,  stern  and  unbending.  Though  his  face 
was  unseen  to  them,  his  very  attitude,  no  less  than  the  ring 


94  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

of  authority  in  his  tone,  bespoke  finality.  It  was  Gram- 
mont  who  seemed  chosen  to  be  the  spokesman  of  the  three. 

"Sir,"  he  said,  "within  all  the  limits  of  reason  and 
possibility  we  acknowledge  you  to  be  the  actual  head  of 
the  revolutionary  party  of  Bergeland.  It  was  you  —  or 
rather  your  wonderful  letters  —  that  first  gave  weight  to 
our  cause,  and  brought  into  our  ranks  many  of  its  most 
intelligent  supporters.  The  very  fact,  perhaps,  of  your 
anonymity  lent,  after  a  time,  weight  to  your  carefully  con- 
sidered and  always  eloquent  counsels.  I  think  that  you, 
on  your  part,  will  admit  that  we,  too,  have  kept  our  share 
of  the  agreement  We  have  never  once  sought  to  penetrate 
the  incognito  which  it  has  seemed  wise  to  you  to  assume. 
We  have  recognized  in  you  a  born  leader,  and  often  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  we  have  persuaded  the  general  com- 
mittee to  support  us  in  our  unswerving  obedience  to  your 
rule.  You  will  acknowledge  this,  sir,  I  trust.  You  will 
admit  that  we  have  done  our  best  in  a  very  difficult 
situation." 

John  Peters  inclined  his  head  in  stiff  assent.  "All 
that  you  say,"  he  admitted,  "  is  true.  What  more  ?  " 

"Our  party,"  Grammont  continued,  "has  become  like 
a  young  giant  suddenly  conscious  of  his  strength.  Our 
numbers  are  enormous.  It  seems,  indeed,  as  though  all 
that  is  best  and  noblest  in  Bergeland  has  flocked  to  our 
standard.  Our  organization,  thanks  to  you,  sir,  is  perfect. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  95 

Even  we,  who  have  reached  the  age  when  reason  triumphs 
over  enthusiasms,  cannot  blind  ourselves  to  the  fact  that 
to-day  we  are  the  undeclared  masters  of  the  country.  We 
are  a  party,  too,  ready  to  strike,  ready  with  our  programme, 
ready  with  our  government.  Sir,  you  cannot  hold  back  an 
avalanche !  So  far  we  have  been  your  spokesmen.  If  you 
send  us  back  without  our  mandate,  I  warn  you  that  we 
are  powerless.  What  you  have  created  has  grown  too 
great  for  inaction." 

John  Peters  was  silent  for  several  moments.  He  knew 
truth  when  he  heard  it,  and  the  words  were  ringing  in  his 
ears.  "It  was  always  my  intention,"  he  said,  speaking 
now  in  a  lower  tone,  "  that  this  change  should  come  about 
naturally,  on  the  death  of  the  king.  He  is  old  and  in  poor 
health.  The  day  of  his  death  was  to  have  been  our  day. 
What  is  it  that  you  propose?" 

"That  we  seize  the  palace,"  Grammont  answered. 
"Let  the  king  and  the  crown  prince  fly,  or  take  their 
chances.  WTiatever  may  come  to  them,  they  have 
deserved." 

"So  far  as  regards  the  crown  prince,"  John  Peters  said 
slowly,  "I  might  be  with  you.  He  is  young,  let  him  take 
his  chance.  But  the  king  is  an  old  man  —  too  old  to  fight. 
If  anything  happened  to  him,  it  might  mean  ruin  to  our 
cause.  Remember  that  the  most  ambitious  monarch  of 
all  looks  always  longingly  upon  our  little  kingdom.  At 


=96  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

an  hour's  notice  his  troops  could  overrun  our    country. 

He  wants  only  an  excuse." 

"England  would  never  suffer  it,  or  France,"  Grammont 
declared. 

"Who  can  tell?"  John  Peters  answered.  "A  man's 
sins  are  forgotten  when  he  has  expiated  them.  No 
country  can  easily  rise  to  greatness  that  stoops  first  to 
regicide." 

"The  risks  have  all  been  counted,"  Grammont  said 
quietly.  "The  truth  is  best.  We  cannot  keep  our 
people  back  any  longer.  More  than  half  the  army 
is  with  us.  Sir,  if  you  would  delay  this  thing  even 
for  a  month  you  can  do  it  only  by  declaring  yourself 
and  arguing  your  own  cause.  We  three  have  been 
swept  off  our  feet.  They  will  listen  no  longer  to 
moderate  counsels  from  us." 

"That,"  John  Peters  said,  "I  cannot  do.  Who  I  am  or 
what  I  am  makes  little  difference  to  our  cause.  But  in  the 
name  of  all  that  I  have  done,  go  back  to  your  committee 
and  tell  them  this:  I  demand  that  no  definite  blow  be 
struck  against  the  king  until  the  meeting  of  Parliament. 
I  claim  this  as  my  right." 

"You  mean  to  warn  him?"  the  professor  asked 
thoughtfully. 

"I  do,"  John  Peters  answered.  "You  may  tell  me  that 
his  life  is  forfeit  to  the  state,  and  I  answer  you  that  he  is 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  97 

an  old  man,  and  violence  against  gray  hairs  has  before  now 
set  a  continent  ablaze." 

"We  will  do  our  best,"  the  professor  said  slowly. 
"  It  is  not  an  easy  task  that  you  have  set  us,  but  what  men 
can  do  we  will." 

There  was  a  brief  silence.  Then  John  Peters 
spoke  once  more.  "A  week  hence,  if  all  goes  well," 
he  said,  "we  meet  here  —  for  the  last  time,  if  your 
words  are  true.  For  the  present,  I  think  that  we  have 
finished." 

Levitt  rose.  "Sir,"  he  said,  "I  take  the  liberty  of 
propounding  a  certain  matter  to  you." 

"Go  on,  then,"  John  Peters  said. 

"The  future  government  of  this  country,  sir,  has  been 
mapped  out,"  Levitt  said,  "by  you.  Every  office  of  state 
has  been  allotted  to  certain  men,  carefully  and  soundly 
chosen.  You  have  shown  a  knowledge  almost  miraculous, 
both  of  the  resources  of  the  country  and  its  citizens.  And 
with  all  that,  one  asks  where,  in  the  future  destinies  of  this 
country,  comes  the  great  brain  which  has  planned  its  free- 
dom. The  names  of  all  the  selected  ministers  are  known 
to  us.  Yours  is  not  among  them!  Yours,  which  should 
surely  head  the  list,  if  ever  merit  and  deserts  are  to  count, 
is  wholly  absent  from  it.  I  speak,  sir,  not  only  on  my  own 
account,  but  on  behalf  of  that  great  people  whom  your 
hand  has  guided  to  liberty,  and  I  say  that  you,  sir,  and  no- 


98  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

one  else,  should  head  that  list  as  president  of  the  new 
republic!" 

"It  is  God's  truth!"  the  professor  declared. 

But  John  Peters  shook  his  head.  "My  friends,"  he 
said,  "such  a  reward  is  not  for  me.  Believe  me,  there  is 
no  post  in  the  new  government  which  I  could  fill.  I  do 
not  seek  for  such  things.  I  am  one  of  those  who  look  out 
upon  life,  and  whose  eyes,  for  that  reason,  perhaps,  are  all 
the  clearer.  I  am  content  to  do  what  I  believe  to  be  my 
duty.  Listen  I " 

No  need  for  that  last  word.  All  four  men  were  upon 
their  feet.  They  were  trained  to  alarms,  and  their  actions 
were  almost  instinctive.  John  Peters,  with  a  sweep  of  his 
arm,  cleared  the  table  of  the  papers  which  earlier  in  the 
evening  they  had  been  studying,  and  with  a  couple  of 
long  strides  passed  through  the  inner  door  into  the  room 
beyond.  The  other  three  kept  their  places,  except  that  the 
professor,  with  a  freshly  lit  cigarette  in  his  mouth,  strolled 
over  toward  the  fireplace,  and  stood  with  his  back  to  it,  as 
though  warming  himself.  And  then  a  latch-key  turned, 
and  the  door  was  opened.  Bernhardt  stood  there,  and 
behind  him  others.  He  closed  the  door,  however,  and 
left  them  outside. 

Like  lightning  his  eyes  flashed  round  the  room,  and  his 
face  fell.  Once  more  was  he  to  be  disappointed!  The 
professor,  Levitt,  Grammont  —  he  knew  them  all  so  well  I 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  99 

They  were  in  his  power  at  any  time.  But  this  mysterious 
leader  —  was  he  always  to  evade  him  ?  Then  his  revolver 
flashed  out  suddenly.  He  threw  open  the  door  and  called 
to  those  outside. 

"Quick!  Search  the  place!"  he  commanded. 
"Through  that  door!  There  are  four  chairs  at  the  table, 
and  three  men  here.  A  thousand  francs  for  that  fourth 
man!" 


CHAPTER  XII 

JOHN  PETERS  half  rose  to  his  feet,    and    a   black 
frown  darkened  his  face.     Bernhardt   stood    upon 
the  threshold  of  the  door,  which  he  had  just  opened 
unannounced. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this,  Bernhardt?"  John 
Peters  asked  quickly.  "  Is  anything  wrong  at  the  palace  ? 
Do  you  come  here  for  me?" 

For  a  second  or  two  Bernhardt  made  no  reply.  He 
stood  just  inside  the  door,  which  he  had  carefully  closed 
behind  him,  and  his  eyes  flashed  around  the  room  in  silent, 
intense  scrutiny.  To  all  appearances  the  scene  which 
his  coming  had  interrupted  was  ordinary  enough.  Marie 
had  changed  her  gown  for  a  white  negligee  robe,  fastened 
at  the  throat  with  a  jewelled  pin  and  around  the  waist 
with  a  girdle.  Her  hair  was  a  little  disarranged,  the  two 
chairs  were  very  close  together.  On  a  small  table  close 
at  hand  was  a  half-empty  bottle  of  champagne,  two 
glasses,  and  a  box  of  cigarettes.  Marie  held  one  still 
between  her  fingers,  the  smoke  of  which  went  curling  up 
to  the  ceiling.  She,  too,  had  turned,  and  was  facing  the 
intruder  with  flushed  face  and  angry  eyes. 

100 


"  Xo,"  Beruliardt  answered.     "  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  did  not 
expect  to  find  you  here."  \P«9e  1 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  101 

"How  dare  you  enter  my  rooms  without  permission?" 
she  demanded.  "  Have  you  stolen  my  keys  ?  What  does 
he  mean  by  it  ?  "  she  added,  turning  abruptly  toward  her 
companion. 

"I  do  not  know,"  John  Peters  answered,  "but 
since  he  is  here,  he  shall  tell  us.  Are  you  spying  on 
me,  sir?" 

"No,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "To  tell  you  the  truth,  I 
did  not  expect  to  find  you  here.  I  am  in  search  of  some 
one  else." 

"Of  whom,  then?"  Marie  demanded. 

Bernhardt  did  not  answer  at  once.  John  Peters  had 
risen  to  his  feet,  and  the  eyes  of  the  two  men  met.  Bern- 
hardt's  gaze  was  cold,  direct,  inquiring;  John  Peters 
seemed  as  though  he  had  suddenly  remembered  his  royal 
estate.  He  had  drawn  himself  up  to  his  full  height,  and 
there  was  a  new  hauteur  in  his  tone. 

"You  would  have  us  believe  that  your  visit  is  a  coin- 
cidence, perhaps,  Baron,"  he  said.  "  We  are  not  quite  so 
gullible.  You  will  be  so  good  as  to  explain  your  presence 
here  without  any  further  delay." 

"I  am  hi  search  of  the  Watcher,"  Bernhardt  answered 
calmly. 

"Then  for  heaven's  sake,  search!"  John  Peters 
answered  contemptuously.  "Lift  up  the  table-cloth,  try 
behind  the  curtains.  There  is  an  inner  room  there! 


102  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Never  mind  asking  this  young  lady's  permission.  The 
Watcher  is  perhaps  under  her  bed." 

Bernhardt  was  weakening.  He  looked  irresolutely 
around. 

"You  have  been  in  search  of  this  person  for  some 
time,  I  believe,"  John  Peters  said  coldly.  "Might  one 
inquire  why  you  are  prosecuting  your  inquiries  in  this 
direction?" 

"You  will  doubtless  be  surprised  to  hear,"  Bernhardt 
said,  "that  a  meeting  of  the  committee  over  which  the 
Watcher  presides  has  been  held  in  this  building  to-night." 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "In  this  build- 
ing! "  he  repeated.  "  Well,  what  of  it  ?  Grammont  has  a 
flat  here,  has  n't  he  ?  Did  you  arrest  them  all  ?" 

"We  have  arrested  no  one,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "I 
know  every  member  of  the  Committee  of  Watchers  but  one. 
We  can  arrest  them  at  any  time.  It  is  the  Watcher  himself 
that  I  am  after." 

"  Good  luck  to  you ! "  John  Peters  said  scornfully.  "  If 
your  attempts  to  secure  him  are  of  the  order  of  your  present 
one,  he  will  go  a  long  time  free,  I  fancy." 

"I  am  not  so  sure,"  Bernhardt  answered. 

John  Peters  smiled.  "There  is  some  method  in  your 
madness,  then?"  he  asked,  with  faint  irony. 

"  Perhaps,"  Bernhardt  answered,  and  his  eyes  wandered 
once  more  around  the  room. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  103 

"You  have  a  clue?"  John  Peters  demanded.  "The 
Watcher  has  probably  learned  the  secret  of  making  himself 
invisible,  or  of  flitting  through  keyholes;  in  which  case  he 
may  still  be  here!" 

"I  am  not  sure  whether  you  would  call  it  a  clue,"  Bern- 
hardt  answered,  "but  the  man  himself  was  in  the  apart- 
ment under  this  one  a  few  minutes  ago.  He  has  not 
descended  by  either  the  stairs  or  the  elevator.  It  seemed 
possible  that  there  might  be  some  means  of  communica- 
tion with  the  apartments  immediately  above.  The  others 
are  now  being  searched." 

"  Marvellous ! "  John  Peters  murmured ;  "  but  you  do  not 
search.  You  waste  time.  There  are  not  many  hiding- 
places  here,  but  you  cannot  tell.  The  Watcher  must  be 
a  desperate  man,  with  you  so  close  to  his  heels.  Take  my 
advice.  Look  under  mademoiselle's  bed.  She  permits 
you,  I  am  sure." 

Marie  threw  her  cigarette  into  the  fire  with  a  scornful 
little  gesture,  and  lit  another. 

"But  what  does  he  think  I  am,  this  man,"  Marie 
demanded,  "that  he  should  search  for  men  in  my 
apartments?" 

"He  is  a  little  confused,  perhaps,  also  a  little  upset," 
John  Peters  said,  with  gentle  sarcasm.  "To  have  come 
so  near  arresting  the  Watcher,  and  then  to  lose  him,  must 
be  maddening.  We  must  make  allowances  for  our  poor 


104  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

friend.     Come,  tell  me,  Baron,  don't  you  mean  to  arrest 

the  others,  then?" 

"I  do  not,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "They  are  of  no 
interest  to  me.  I  can  put  my  hand  upon  them  anywhere, 
at  any  moment.  There  is  no  need  for  me  to  risk  a  rising 
by  arresting  them.  I  want  the  man  whose  brain  has 
created  and  nourished  this  infernal  conspiracy." 

"But  would  not  the  same  argument  apply  where  he  is 
concerned?"  John  Peters  asked.  "If  the  people  knew 
that  you  had  him,  would  they  not  rise  for  him  ?" 

Once  more  the  eyes  of  the  two  men  met. 

"There  would  be  no  time,"  Bernhardt  said  coldly. 

"There  are  laws  in  the  country,"  John  Peters  said. 

"  Laws  can  be  broken  —  to  save  the  country,"  Bernhardt 
answered.  "If  I  arrest  the  Watcher  to-night,  I  swear  to 
you  that  he  shall  die  before  morning." 

John  Peters  laughed  softly.  "You  are  in  a  blood- 
thirsty frame  of  mind  to-night,  my  friend,"  he  said.  "  You 
speak  of  things  you  would  not  dare  to  do." 

Bernhardt  laughed  shortly.  "  Come  and  see  me  in  the 
morning,"  he  suggested,  "and  I  will  show  you  things  that 
you  will  find  surprising.  You  may  even  condescend  to  be 
alarmed." 

John  Peters  yawned.  "I  doubt  it,"  he  remarked. 
"By  the  by,  Bernhardt,  that  is  an  excellent  suggestion  of 
yours  —  about  to-morrow  morning.  I  wish  you  would  go 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  105 

away  now.  A  person  of  your  discrimination  may  perhaps 
realize  that  you  are,  to  say  the  least,  something  of  an 
intruder." 

"I  will  go,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "but  first " 

He  crossed  the  room  toward  the  window,  and  drew 
aside  the  curtain.  The  window  was  open  a  few  inches. 

"You  keep  your  rooms  well  aired,  mademoiselle,"  he 
remarked,  looking  out  into  the  night. 

Marie  laughed.  "Why  not?"  she  answered.  "One 
of  ray  windows  is  always  open." 

"Indeed!"  Bernhardt  remarked.  "That  is  very  inter- 
esting. Permit  me!" 

He  threw  up  the  window  to  the  top,  and  leaned  out. 
He  remained  there  for  several  moments.  Then  he  closed 
the  window,  crossed  the  room  quickly,  and  with  the  handle 
of  the  door  in  his  hand,  turned  and  bowed  his  adieu. 

"My  most  profound  apologies,"  he  said,  "and  good 
night!" 

But  Marie  was  to  see  him  again.  She  was  awakened  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  by  the  sudden  flooding  of  her  room 
with  electric  light.  She  sat  up  in  bed  and  rubbed  her 
eyes.  By  her  side  was  Bernhardt. 

"This  is  infamous!"  she  exclaimed  angrily.  "How 
dare  you  come  here?  How  dare  you  enter  my  room?" 

"Young  lady,"  Bernhardt  said  sternly,  "listen  to  me. 


106  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

/ 

I  am  chief  of  the  police  of  this  city,  and  I  do  as  I  choose. 
Don't  waste  your  breath  making  angry  speeches.  Listen 
to  me  instead.  What  I  have  to  say  is  worth  hearing." 

She  looked  at  him  steadfastly.  Her  eyes  were  a  little 
frightened,  and  her  breath  came  quickly.  It  was  an  ordeal, 
this,  for  her. 

"I  am  going  to  ask  you  certain  questions,"  Bernhardt 
continued.  "If  you  answer  them,  it  is  an  affair  of  a 
diamond  bracelet;  if  you  answer  them  so  that  I  gain  the 
information  I  need,  it  is  an  affair,  also,  of  a  necklace." 

Still  she  said  nothing,  but  her  eyes  flashed  at  the  mention 
of  the  diamonds,  and  Bernhardt  smiled  to  himself. 

"Is  the  crown  prince  indeed  your  friend  ?" 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  scornfully.  "You  begin 
foolishly,"  she  said.  "All  the  world  knows  it." 

"All  the  world  believes  it,"  Bernhardt  interrupted 
coolly.  "For  myself  —  well,  I  ask  you  the  question." 

"He  is,"  she  declared  steadily. 

Bernhardt  never  took  his  eyes  off  her.  She  turned  away 
from  him  a  little  petulantly.  "How  long  had  the  prince 
been  with  you  this  evening  when  I  appeared?" 

"We  dined  together  at  the  Cafe*  Lion  d'Or,"  she 
answered.  "Private  room  Number  7.  You  can  go  and 
make  inquiries  if  you  like.  We  came  straight  back  here. 
I  think  that  we  arrived  about  nine.  You  can  ask  the 
concierge." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  107 

Bernhardt  nodded.  "And  the  prince  had  not  left  you 
between  the  time  of  your  arrival  and  the  time  of  my 
appearance?" 

"  Assuredly  not,"  Marie  answered.     "  Why  should  he  ?  " 

"You  drank  wine  and  smoked  and  talked?" 

"Naturally!"  Marie  declared. 

Bernhardt  was  silent  for  a  moment.  "You  received  no 
other  visitor?"  he  asked. 

"None!"  she  replied,  with  a  little  toss  of  the  head. 

"You  have  nothing  to  tell  me,  then!" 

"What  should  I  have?  I  have  answered  your 
questions." 

He  looked  at  her  critically.  "The  crown  prince  has 
good  taste,"  he  remarked.  "Diamonds  would  suit  you 
admirably." 

"Do  you  want  me  to  lie  to  you  for  them?"  she  asked, 
more  at  her  ease.  "If  so,  tell  me  what  to  say,  and  I  will 
say  it." 

"No.  I  want  the  truth,"  he  answered  shortly.  "I 
want,  if  I  can,  to  save  the  country.  You,  I  see,  are  not 
disposed  to  help  me." 

"Tell  me  what  you  mean  ?"  she  asked. 

"I  want  to  arrest  the  Watcher,"  he  answered.  "I 
will  give  twenty  thousand  francs  to  the  person  who 
helps  me." 

She  looked  at  him  with  glistening  eyes.     "You  don't 


108  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

really  believe,"  she  asked,  "that  he  was  near  here  last 

night?" 

"Twenty  thousand  francs,"  he  repeated  softly.  "One 
could  do  much  with  that  And  one  might  save  some  lives. 
But  the  time  is  short.  It  must  be  now  or  never  —  now  or 
'•rithin,  say,  the  next  twenty-four  hours." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

SIR/'  John  Peters  said,  "we  are  in  a  devil  of  a  mess.^ 
The  king  frowned.  He  considered  his  nephew 
altogether  too  democratic.  "I  do  not  like  your  phrase- 
ology, and  I  do  not  agree  with  your  conclusion,"  he  said. 
"You  must  have  been  talking  with  Bernhardt.  That  man 
is  crazy.  He  actually  wants  me  to  let  off  those  scoundrels 
who  stopped  Mademoiselle  Clerteau's  carriage  in  the 
square  yesterday.  Let  them  off!  I  would  shoot  them  all 
if  I  could.  What  right  have  the  populace  to  interfere  with 
the  amusements  of  their  rulers!" 

"It  isn't  only  Bernhardt,"  John  Peters  said.  "I've 
been  having  a  look  around  myself,  and  I  don't  like  the  looks 
of  things  at  all.  I  suppose  you  know  the  results  of  the 
elections  up  to  now?" 

"I  know  that  the  Republicans  have  gained  a  few  seats," 
the  king  answered.  "What  of  it?  We  shall  have  a 
majority  in  the  end." 

"Bet  you  five  to  one  we  don't!"  John  Peters  said, 
strolling  to  a  table  and  helping  himself  to  a  cigarette. 
"I  know  for  a  fact  that  when  all  the  returns  are 
in  the  Republicans,  or  whatever  they  call  themselves, 

MM 


110  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

will   have    a    majority    in    the    House.      What    about 

supplies  then?" 

"I  shall  dissolve  Parliament,"  the  king  answered. 

"And  we,"  John  Peters  said,  leaning  against  the  mantel- 
piece, and  watching  his  cigarette  smoke  curl  upward, 
"shall  be  in  the  unfortunate  position  of  a  king  and  a  crown 
prince  without  a  kingdom.  There  will  be  a  revolution." 

The  king  was  angry.  He  was  a  fine-looking  man  still, 
and  the  fierce  light  which  blazed  in  his  eyes  made  him 
appear  many  years  younger.  "Nephew,"  he  said,  "I 
believe  you  are  a  coward  I" 

"I'm  rather  afraid  that  I  am  —  in  that  way,"  John 
Peters  answered  calmly.  "I  never  could  shut  my  eyes  to 
facts.  The  people  hate  us.  I  'm  not  sure  that  I  wonder 
at  it." 

"We  will  teach  them  to  fear  us,  then,"  the  king  said 
grimly.  "You  forget  that  we  hold  the  whip-hand." 

"The  whip-hand?"  John  Peters  repeated. 

"We  have  the  army,"  the  king  said.  "General  Grobe- 
ner  sent  in  his  report  last  night.  There  are  seventy-six 
hundred  men  in  barracks." 

"No  earthly  use,"  John  Peters  declared  blithely. 
"They  M  fight  an  enemy  right  enough;  they  would  n't 
fight  their  own  people." 

"They  would  fight  for  their  king  anywhere,"  his  uncle 
declared. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  111 

"You  try  'em,"  John  Peters  answered.  "The  revolu- 
tionists have  got  hold  of  them.  I  know  what  I  'm  talking 
about." 

"If  I  believed  you,"  the  king  said,  "I  should  send  a 
special  envoy  to  Berlin  to-morrow." 

John  Peters  smiled.  "I  do  not  fancy,"  he  said,  "that 
our  august  kinsman  is  very  keen  on  trying  to  bolster  up 
losing  causes;  and  besides,  what  about  our  own  people? 
Would  you  be  content  to  sit  upon  a  throne  which  was 
yours  only  by  the  grace  of  a  foreigner  ?" 

"The  trouble  would  pass,"  the  king  answered.  "The 
people  would  come  to  their  senses." 

"If  you  will  not  be  convinced,"  John  Peters  said,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders,  "I  suppose  we  must  take  our  chances. 
I  've  a  fancy  they  mean  to  assassinate  us." 

"I  shall  decline,"  the  king  said,  "to  lend  myself  to  any- 
thing of  the  sort,  and  I  wish  you  *d  stop  talking  nonsense, 
John.  If  you  asked  me,  I  could  tell  you  who  is  the  less 
popular  in  the  country,  you  or  me.  You  have  n't  had  the 
grace  to  cover  up  your  misdeeds.  I  have.  So  long  as  I 
live,  I  believe  the  country  is  safe.  It  is  after  I  am  dead 
that  the  trouble  will  commence,  especially  if  you  don't 
mend  your  ways." 

John  Peters  walked  to  the  window  and  looked  out  upon 
the  square.  In  front  of  the  iron  gates  sentries  were  walk- 
ing up  and  down;  beyond  was  a  press  of  people  passing 


112  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

backward  and  forward.  Was  it  his  fancy,  he  wondered, 
or  could  he  even  at  that  distance  detect  something  dif- 
ferent in  the  way  they  walked  and  turned  their  heads  to 
gaze  toward  the  palace  ?  He  turned  again  to  face  the  king, 
who  was  talking  to  his  secretary.  "Bernhardt  is  outside," 
his  majesty  remarked.  "Desires  an  audience.  Shall  we 
see  him  together?" 

"By  all  means,"  John  Peters  said.  "I  should  like 
to  hear  what  he  has  to  say.  I  should  like  you  to 
hear  it,  too!" 

Bernhardt  was  ushered  in.  The  two  men  smiled  as  they 
exchanged  greetings. 

"You  two  have  met  before  this  morning?"  the  king 
asked,  looking  from  one  to  the  other. 

"Last  night,  your  Majesty,"  Bernhardt  answered, 
bowing  low.  "I  came  across  his  Royal  Highness  last 
night." 

The  king  nodded  grimly.  "I  won't  ask  you  where  it 
was,"  he  said.  "Some  disreputable  corner  of  the  city, 
doubtless.  Is  there  any  news?" 

Bernhardt  hesitated  for  a  moment.  "  There  is  nothing 
fresh,  your  Majesty,"  he  said.  "My  men  surprised  a 
secret  meeting  of  the  Watchers  last  night,  but  we 
had  no  luck." 

"You  failed  again,  then?"  the  king  said,  frowning. 

"We  did,  your  Majesty,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "and 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  113 

yet,"  he  added,  glancing  carelessly  for  a  moment  toward 
John  Peters,  "I  am  not  sure  that  it  was  altogether  a  failure. 
If  only  we  had  a  little  more  time." 

"A  little  more  time!  What  do  you  mean?"  the  king 
asked  hastily. 

Bernhardt  turned  toward  him  with  grave  face.  "Your 
Majesty,"  he  answered,  "I  am  exceedingly  sorry  to  report 
that  I  fear  a  general  rising  of  the  people  will  take  place 
within  the  next  few  days.  It  is  my  duty  to  warn  you  of 
this,  and  I  beg  to  suggest  that  you  send  for  General 
Grobener  at  once.  It  is  important  that  we  should  know 
exactly  what  the  spirit  of  the  military  is  at  the  present 
moment." 

The  king's  face  seemed  to  harden.  He  drew  himself  up 
to  his  full  height,  and  his  keen,  rather  small  eyes  were 
fixed  upon  Bernhardt's  face.  "Are  you  and  my  nephew 
in  collusion?"  he  asked. 

Bernhardt  shook  his  head.  "Your  Majesty,"  he  said, 
"we  are  a  long  way  from  being  in  collusion,  a  very  long 
way  indeed." 

"Very  well,"  the  king  said,  "we  will  send  for  General 
Grobener.  If  there  is  going  to  be  any  rioting,  the  people 
shall  be  taught  the  lesson  of  their  lives." 

He  rang  the  bell  for  his  secretary,  and  gave  a  few  orders. 
Then  he  turned  once  more  to  Bernhardt.  "Tell  me," 
he  said,  "what  has  brought  all  this  about?  It  is  only 


114  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

during  the  last  three  years  that  one  has  heard  of  this 

discontent." 

"It  is  the  work  of  one  man,  sir,"  Bernhardt  answered. 
"The  Watcher,  whoever  he  may  be,  is  the  one  person  who 
is  responsible  for  the  condition  of  the  country." 

"And  during  three  years,"  the  king  said  coldly,  "you 
have  failed  to  arrest  him,  knowing  very  well  the  mischief 
he  was  doing." 

"Your  Majesty,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "you  could 
inflict  upon  me  no  punishment  so  severe  as  the  humiliation 
which  I  carry  with  me  day  and  night." 

"Sir,"  the  king  said,  his  face  full  of  cold  wrath,  "this 
is  a  small  country,  you  have  had  an  ample  force  of  police 
and  spies,  and  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  here,  under  your 
very  nose,  this  man  has  lived  in  secrecy  for  three  years?" 

"I  am  ashamed  to  confess  it,  your  Majesty,  but  it  is 
true,"  said  Bernhardt.  "I  might  ask  you  to  remember 
that  most  of  this  extraordinary  person's  work  has  been  done 
by  pamphlets  and  organizations,  and  I  know  for  a  fact  that 
even  the  Watchers  themselves  have  met  him  only  six  times 
and  have  never  seen  his  face.  I  am  perfectly  convinced 
that  he  is  a  person  with  a  double  personality,  and  I  also 
know  that  he  is  in  the  city  to-day." 

"All  that  you  appear  to  know  amounts  to  nothing,  sir," 
the  king  declared.  "  Can  you  arrest  him  to-day  ?  " 

Bernhardt  shook  his  head.     "Your  Majesty,"  he  said, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  115 

"I  cannot.  After  to-morrow,  it  is  possible  that  we  may 
all  know  him." 

"Why  after  to-morrow?"  John  Peters  asked. 

"Because  it  is  rumoured  that  if  the  men  who  smashed 
Mademoiselle  Clerteau's  carriage  in  the  square  yesterday 
are  committed  for  trial,  he  will  lead  a  hundred  thousand 
rioters  to  the  palace." 

"A  hundred  thousand  fiddlesticks!"  the  king  exclaimed 
testily.  "Why,  there  are  not  a  hundred  thousand  revolu- 
tionists in  the  city,  or  anything  like  it!" 

"It  is  from  the  country  districts  that  the  people  are  to 
come,  your  Majesty,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "The 
organization  of  all  the  clubs  in  the  smaller  dis- 
tricts is  wonderful.  They  have  special  trains  already 
ordered.  Unless  we  hold  the  railway  stations,  they  can 
pour  two  or  even  three  hundred  thousand  people  into  the 
city." 

"And  you  are  the  person,"  the  king  remarked,  with 
ominous  coldness,  "who  has  permitted  this  organization  to 
develop  into  such  a  power?" 

"  Your  Majesty,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "  they  break  the 
law  nowhere.  Interference  is  not  possible.  It  is  only 
the  Watchers  who  have  rendered  themselves  in  the  slightest 
degree  liable  to  the  law.  The  policy  of  arresting  men  of 
such  high  repute,  and  with  such  a  following,  has  been  dis- 
cussed repeatedly  by  your  Majesty's  council/' 


116  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"There  is  only  one  man,"  the  king  said,  "whom  it  is 
worth  while  to  arrest  —  the  Watcher  himself.  Arrest 
him,  and  see  that  he  does  not  live  through  the  night,  and 
we  would  soon  purge  the  city  of  this  madness." 

"Your  Majesty,"  Bernhardt  said,  "I  have  done  my  best, 
and  I  have  failed.  If  my  resignation " 

"Rubbish!"  the  king  interrupted.  "This  is  no  time  to 
talk  about  resignations.  The  trouble  is  upon  us.  Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  you  have  not  even  a  suspicion  as  to 
this  man's  other  personality?" 

Bernhardt  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute.  "Your 
Majesty,"  he  said,  "last  night  a  wild  idea  came  to  me." 

An  usher  threw  open  the  door,  announcing  General 
Grobener.  The  king  turned  to  greet  him.  John  Peters 
let  his  hand  fall  upon  Bernhardt's  arm. 

"Don't  say  anything  foolish,"  he  whispered.  "If  you 
do,  you  may  regret  it." 

"The  Watcher,"  Bernhardt  said  slowly,  "was  concealed 
by  some  one  in  the  building  last  night  —  some  one  whose 
apartment  is  in  the  outside  block." 

"You  don't  suspect  mademoiselle?"  John  Peters  said, 
smiling. 

"Why  not?"  Bernhardt  answered.  "Your  Highness 
knows  that  she  has  more  lovers  than  one." 

"  I  will  swear  that  I  was  the  only  man  in  her  rooms  last 
night,"  John  Peters  declared. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  117 

The  king  turned  toward  them  with  a  smile  of  triumph. 
"  At  last,"  he  said,  "  I  have  found  a  man  who  can  talk  sense. 
General  Grobener  is  prepared  to  stake  his  honour  upon 
his  men." 

Bernhardt  turned  to  face  him.  "You  mean  that, 
General?"  he  asked. 

"I  do,"  the  general  answered  impressively.  "All  this 
revolutionist  nonsense  is  pure  civilian  folly.  My  men 
are  staunch." 

"Then  for  heaven's  sake,"  Bernhardt  declared, 
"announce  a  review  for  the  day  after  to-morrow,  and  get 
them  under  arms." 

"If  his  Majesty  orders  it,"  General  Grobener  answered, 
"it  shall  be  done." 

"In  the  square,"  the  king  declared,  "a  full  artillery 
review.  A  few  Maxim  guns  will  be  the  best  answer  to 
those  who  talk  of  revolutions.  Let  it  be  announced  in  the 
Gazette  this  evening.  What  do  you  say,  nephew  ?  " 

"I  wish  I  shared  the  general's  faith,"  John  Peters  said 
dryly.  "However,  I  suppose  it  is  the  only  card  we  have 
left  to  play,  unless  your  Majesty " 

"Well?" 

"Unless  your  Majesty  were  to  order  a  special  train  to- 
morrow morning,  and  take  Mademoiselle  Clerteau 
back  to  Paris." 

The   king    stamped    upon    the    floor.       "You    mean 


118  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

abdicate!"  he  cried.     "I  would  sooner  die  in  the  square 
there!" 

John  Peters  turned  once  more  to  the  window,  with  a 
faint  smile  upon  his  lips.  "It  may  come  to  that,"  he  said, 
"for  both  of  us." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

HE  CAME  upon  her  suddenly  from  out  of  the 
shadows  of  a  gloomy  afternoon,  and  she  stared  at 
him  as  though  she  had  seen  a  ghost. 

"You!"  she  exclaimed,  "you!" 

Other  words  failed  her.  He  looked  at  her  intently  for 
a  moment  and  then  laughed.  To  her  the  laugh  sounded 
most  unnatural. 

"Why  not?" 

"I  don't  know,"  she  answered,  a  little  lamely,  "only  I 
have  been  reading  the  papers,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that 
just  now  your  place  was  in  your  own  country." 

The  idea  seemed  to  amuse  him,  and  again  his  laugh 
sounded  strangely  unfamiliar  to  her. 

"I  like  London  better,"  he  declared.  The  way  he 
looked  at  her,  too,  was  amazing. 

She  moved  on  a  little  nervously.     He  kept  by  her  side. 

"Where  are  you  going?"  he  asked. 

"Home,"  she  answered,  pausing  at  the  door  of  an 
apartment  house.  "We  have  just  finished  a  matine'e. 
This  is  my  nearest  way  in." 

She  half  held  out  her  hand.  He  affected  not  to  see  it 

119 


120  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Won't  you  ask  me  in?"  he  begged. 

"If  you  like,  of  course,"  she  answered.  "I  didn't 
fancy " 

"  Oh,  I  'd  like  to  come,"  he  declared. 

She  looked  at  him  wonderingly.  "You  are  a  brave 
man,"  she  said. 

"Why?"  he  demanded. 

"Well,  you  remember  the  last  time,"  she  remarked. 

He  shook  his  head.  "I  never  remember  the  things 
which  it  is  wiser  to  forget,"  he  declared. 

They  went  in  silence  up  to  her  rooms.  He  laid  his  hat 
down  upon  the  table,  and  she  looked  at  him  wonderingly. 

"What  has  happened  to  change  you  so  ?  "  she  demanded. 
"You  are " 

"Anything  you  like  to  call  me,"  he  answered.  "John 
Peters,  if  you  will." 

She  drew  a  little  breath.  "  I  was  beginning  to  wonder," 
she  confessed.  "Your  features  are  the  same,  but  your 
whole  expression  seems  to  have  changed." 

"I've  been  having  a  rough  time,"  he  confessed. 

"It  isn't  that,"  she  answered;  "you  are  different, 
are  n't  you?  What  is  it?" 

"I  am  learning,"  he  declared,  "to  take  life  a  little  less 
seriously." 

She  nodded.  "That  is  how  you  look,"  she  admitted. 
"It  changes  you." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  121 

He  leaned  toward  her.  "In  one  thing,"  he  whispered  in 
her  ear,  "I  have  not  changed,  I  shall  never  change.  And 
you " 

She  drew  away  from  him,  a  curious  sensation  of  fear 
coming  over  her.  She  was  certain  that  he  was  going  to 
try  to  kiss  her.  It  was  a  nightmare,  this.  She  felt  his  hot 
breath  upon  her  cheek,  and  drew  angrily  away. 

"You  are  different,"  she  cried,  standing  with  her  finger 
upon  the  belL  "  I  do  not  recognize  you.  Please  go  away. 
I  have  rung  for  my  maid.  Do  please  go ! " 

He  picked  up  his  hat  and  left  her  with  a  light  word.  She 
looked  after  him  in  horror.  He  went  jauntily  down  the 
corridor,  looking  back  once  to  wave  his  hand.  She  closed 
her  door  and  locked  it.  A  moment  or  so  later  a  knock 
came.  She  rang  for  her  maid. 

"Don't  let  any  one  in  unless  I  know  who  it  is,"  she 
ordered. 

The  maid  opened  the  door  and  looked  round.  "It  is 
Sir  Gilbert,  madam,"  she  announced. 

Grace  gave  a  little  murmur  of  relief.  She  rose  and 
held  out  both  her  hands.  "Do  come  in,"  she  said, 
"I'm  so  glad  to  see  you.  Did  you  pass  any  one  in 
the  corridor?" 

"I  recognized  some  one  stepping  out  of  the  elevator," 
Sir  Gilbert  answered.  "  J  think  that  your  friend  has  come 
into  line  with  us  others,  eh  ?  More  of  the  Kingdom  of 


122  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Earth  about   his   expression    to-day,  I  think,    than   the 

other  place." 

She  shivered.     "I  met  him  just  now  in  the  street,"  she 

said.  "He  came  in  with  me.  He  was  only  here  five 
minutes.  I  did  n't  understand  him." 

Sir  Gilbert  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Well,"  he  said,  "I'm 
glad  you  were  able  to  get  rid  of  him  without  any  trouble. 
I  suppose  it 's  one  of  the  things  you  're  liable  to,  living  alone 
like  this.  I  wish  to  the  dickens  you  'd  chuck  it,  Grace." 

"What  would  you  have  me  do  then?"  she  inquired, 
smiling. 

"Oh,  take  a  house  —  you  could  afford  it  well  enough,  or 
cut  the  stage  altogether  and  marry  me.  I  '11  give  you  the 
prettiest  house  in  London." 

"This  is  a  serious  proposal  ?"  she  asked. 

"Am  I  not  always  serious?"  he  demanded.  "I've 
proposed  to  you  nearly  every  week  for  two  months." 

She  nodded.  "You  're  getting  quite  skilful,"  she  said. 
"  I  'd  really  think  of  it,  but  I  're  half  promised  to  sign  a 
contract  to  go  abroad." 

"When?"  he  demanded. 

"  In  a  week  or  two  —  when  we  close  here.  We  are 
going  to  Germany,  and  call  at  some  places  on  the  way." 

He  dropped  his  eye-glass,  and  looked  thoughtfully  into 
the  fire.  "I  am  sorry,"  he  said. 

"Why?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  123 

"I  like  you  in  England  best,"  he  answered,  "and  I  hate 
you  on  the  stage  at  all." 

She  laughed  softly.  "My  dear  Gilbert,"  she  said,  "one 
must  do  something." 

"Not  necessarily,"  he  dissented.  "You  have  money 
enough,  and  a  decent  fellow  waiting  to  marry  you,  if 
you  'd  have  him.  And  besides,  you  have  n't  any  real 
vocation  for  the  stage.  You  are  not  a  great  actress. 
You  never  will  be  one.  You  are  just  capable  and  clever, 
and  nice  to  look  at.  Those  gifts  would  do  you  as  well 
anywhere  else.  By  the  by" — he  turned  and  looked  at 
her  —  "what  first  made  you  go  on  the  stage?  I  never 
quite  understood." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  One  must  do  something. 
I  was  weary  of  the  ordinary  things." 

"But  you  never  indulged  in  the  ordinary  things,"  he 
reminded  her.  "You  were  always  far  above  that.  I 
remember  that  when  you  left  Wellesley  you  were  a  person 
to  be  feared.  You  were  great  at  social  science,  and  you 
shocked  everyone  by  that  article  of  yours  in  the  Fortnightly 
in  defence  of  Anarchy.  You  were  a  frightful  blue-stocking 
with  most  bloodthirsty  views.  And  then  you  gave  up 
everything  and  went  on  the  stage.  Others,  besides  myself, 
were  puzzled.  Why  did  you  do  it,  I  wonder?" 

"I  had  a  reason,  certainly,"  she  admitted,  "but  it  is  not 
one  that  I  can  tell  you." 


124  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"  You  mean  that  ?  "  he  asked,  after  a  moment's  pause. 

"I  do." 

He  sighed.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  I  should  have  liked  your 
confidence." 

"I  would  give  it  to  you,  if  to  any  one,"  she  said,  a  little 
wearily.  "  I  dare  say  I  have  made  rather  a  muddle  of  my 
life.  Most  people  would  say  so.  Sometimes  I  am  sure  of 
it  myself.  But  such  as  it  is,  I  must  go  on  with  it.  I  dare 
say  it  will  come  out  all  right." 

"But  what,"  he  asked,  "is  to  be  the  end  of  it?  I  do 
not  honestly  believe  that  you  have  any  ambitions 
connected  with  the  stage,  and  you  say  that  you  don't 
want  to  marry.  Yet  you  are  not  the  sort  of  person  to 
live  aimlessly." 

"Hasn't  it  ever  occurred  to  you,"  she  asked,  smiling, 
"  that  there  may  be  things  in  my  life  which  I  choose,  or  am 
forced,  to  keep  to  myself?  One  is  apt  to  judge  too  much 
by  exteriors,  you  know." 

"Then  I  am  more  than  ever  in  the  dark,"  he  confessed, 
"and  I  don't  like  being  in  the  dark  where  you  are  con- 
cerned." 

There  was  a  tap  at  the  door,  and  a  man  entered  some- 
what abruptly.  He  was  dark,  with  black  beard  and  hair, 
of  medium  height,  fashionably  dressed,  but  in  a  manner 
which  somehow  suggested  the  foreigner.  The  look  which 
passed  between  Grace  and  him  indicated  a  certain 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  125 

familiarity,   which  somehow  stirred   a  queer  feeling  of 
resentment  in  Ferringhall. 

"Come  in,  Mr.  St.  Dalmas,"  Grace  said,  motion- 
ing him  to  a  chair.  "Sir  Gilbert  Ferringhall,  Mr.  St. 
Dalmas." 

The  two  men  exchanged  scanty  greetings.  The  new- 
comer settled  down  in  his  chair,  with  the  obvious  air  of  an 
habitue",  and  one  who  meant  to  stop.  In  a  few  minutes 
Ferringhall  rose  to  go. 

"I  am  coming  to  see  the  play  to-night,"  he  remarked, 
as  he  shook  hands  with  Grace. 

"What,  again?"  she  laughed. 

"  Why  not  ?  You  would  n't  care  to  come  to  supper 
afterward?" 

She  shook  her  head.  "Not  to-night.  I  'm  always  tired 
matinee  days.  Come  and  see  me  again  soon." 

He  felt  himself  dismissed  and  he  went.  He  left  the 
house  and  turned  aimlessly  westward.  "Damn  that 
fellow!"  he  muttered  to  himself.  "I  wonder  who  he  is?" 

The  "fellow"  was  standing  with  his  back  to  the  fire, 
lighting  a  cigarette.  "  I  hate  your  society  friends,  Grace," 
he  said  heartily. 

She  looked  at  him  coldly.  "Gilbert  Ferringhall  is 
one  of  my  very  best  and  dearest  friends,"  she 
remarked.  "There  is  no  one  whom  I  am  more  glad  to 
see  here." 


126  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"You  ought  to  drop  these  outside  people,"  he  said; 
"  they  distract  your  mind." 

"Sometimes,"  she  said,  with  a  little  sigh,  "a  little  dis- 
traction is  welcome." 

He  looked  at  her,  frowning  heavily.  "I  don't  like  to 
hear  you  talk  like  that,"  he  said. 

"Perhaps  not!     One  has  humours  sometimes." 

He  threw  out  his  hand,  a  swift,  sweeping  gesture.  "A 
woman,  perhaps.  Well,  never  mind.  You  leave  next 
week  —  or  is  it  the  week  after  —  for  Berlin  for  three  nights, 
and  three  in  Varia." 

She  nodded.     "Well?" 

"There  is  a  commission  for  you." 

Her  eyes  were  filled  with  fear.     "Where?" 

"In  Varia." 

He  looked  at  her  contemptuously.    She  had  turned  pale. 

"You  are  not  the  woman  you  were,"  he  said.  "I  am 
not  sure  that  you  are  to  be  trusted.  No,  I  don't  mean 
that,"  he  added  quickly,  as  she  raised  her  head,  "I  mean 
your  nerve." 

"My  nerve  is  all  right,"  she  answered  him  quietly, 
"and  what  I  undertake  to  do  I  shall  do.  But  one 
can't  help  wishing  that  theories,  and  the  practical 
applications  one  draws  from  them,  were  not  quite  so 
far  apart." 

"Well,  it 's  nothing  to  frighten  you  this  time,"  he  said 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  127 

grimly.  "You  have  to  meet  and  deliver  some  messages 
from  us  to  the  real  ruler  of  Bergeland." 

"And  who  is  he  ?"  she  asked. 

"He  is  the  secret  head  of  the  revolutionist  party 
there,"  St.  Dalmas  answered.  "They  call  him  the 
Watcher." 


CHAPTER  XV 

JOHN  PETERS  stood  still  for  a  moment  at  the  corner 
of  the  ill-lit  street,  and  thrust  his  hands  deep  down 
into  the  pockets  of  his  ulster.  Very  deliberately  he  pro- 
duced a  handful  of  cigarettes,  chose  one  and  lit  it.  And 
all  the  time  every  sense  was  upon  the  alert;  his  eyes  were 
straining  through  the  darkness.  He  was  being  followed! 
He  had  suspected  it  before;  he  was  sure  of  it  now.  The 
footsteps  had  ceased.  Somewhere  in  those  shadows  the 
person  to  whom  they  belonged  was  lurking. 

He  thought  for  a  moment,  steadfastly,  earnestly.  Then 
he  lurched  on  down  the  street,  walking  with  the  exagger- 
ated care  of  a  drunken  man,  his  cigarette  at  a  ridiculous 
angle,  whistling  occasional  snatches  of  a  popular  ditty. 
Every  now  and  then  he  paused,  as  though  not  quite  certain 
of  his  whereabouts,  and  he  studied  the  names  of  the  streets 
at  every  corner.  It  was  past  midnight,  and  there  were 
few  people  about,  but  he  looked  into  the  face  of  every 
woman  he  passed,  and  spoke  to  one  or  two. 

At  last  he  turned  from  the  broad  street  into  a  smaller  and 
narrower  one.  Here  his  progress  became  slower,  and  he 
seemed  to  be  counting  the  numbers  as  he  went.  The 

128 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  129 

street  was  narrow,  and  the  houses  were  old  and  high  and 
dark.  In  front  of  many  of  them  a  red  lamp  was  burning. 
A  stranger  would  have  felt  by  instinct  that  he  had  found  his 
way  into  one  of  the  lowest  parts  of  the  city.  There  was 
something  gruesome  in  the  grim  silence  behind  that  row 
of  red  lamps. 

Unsteadily,  and  with  frequent  pauses,  John  Peters  made 
his  way  several  hundred  yards  down  the  street.  Then 
suddenly  he  lurched  up  against  a  sort  of  double  door, 
which  gave  at  once  to  his  weight,  and  he  staggered  into  a 
sanded  parlour.  A  man  with  blank,  unseeing  eyes  sat 
playing  a  miserable  piano;  a  woman  in  a  gaudy  red  dress 
lounged  upon  a  sofa.  From  an  inner  room  a  man  came 
hastily  out. 

John  Peters  for  a  moment  was  a  different  person.  He 
stood  upright,  and  his  voice,  though  low,  seemed  to  cut 
the  air  like  a  whip.  "Make  room  for  me  on  the  sofa,  girl! 
More  of  the  women,  Johann!  Close  up  behind,  I  am 
being  followed.  Let  no  one  leave  the  place." 

The  man  disappeared,  and  almost  immediately  the 
lights  went  out  in  the  room  beyond.  The  woman  on  the, 
sofa  moved  her  skirts  and  made  room  for  the  newcomer  by 
her  side.  From  the  door  on  the  left  two  others  entered,, 
gaudily  dressed,  their  faces  disfigured  with  paint  and! 
powder.  No  one  said  a  word,  but  all  the  time  the  jingle; 
of  the  piano  continued,  and  the  man  who  sat  on  the  stool'., 


130  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

deaf  to  all  that  was  going  on,  ground  out  his  wretched 
music.  The  girl  on  the  sofa,  who  was  leaning  a  little 
toward  the  street  as  though  listening,  held  up  her  hand 
suddenly.  The  footsteps  had  halted  outside  the  door. 
She  burst  into  a  loud  laugh,  and  threw  her  arm  without  a 
moment's  hesitation  around  her  companion's  neck.  One 
of  the  other  women  began  to  dance;  from  the  inner  room 
a  wretched-looking  waiter  came  hurrying  out  with  wine 
and  glasses  upon  a  tray.  The  outer  door  was  pushed  open, 
and  a  man  made  his  way  in. 

He  was  tall,  rather  shabbily  dressed,  and  his  face  was 
insignificant  except  for  his  eyes,  which  seemed  in  that  first 
moment  to  flash  round  the  room.  He  was  smoking  a 
large  cigar,  which  he  removed  from  his  mouth;  and  he  took 
off  his  hat  with  a  sweeping  bow.  "I  trust,"  he  said, 
"that  I  am  not  intruding.  Some  very  good  friends  of 
mine  have  been  here  before." 

One  of  the  girls  laughed  at  him,  and  taking  his  arm  led 
him  toward  a  chair. 

The  man  leaned  forward  in  his  chair  and  looked  across 
the  room,  as  though  to  see  more  distinctly  the  girl  on  the 
sofa.  In  reality  it  was  her  companion  at  whom 
he  was  looking,  and  whose  eyes  met  his  in  a 
drunken,  dissolute  stare.  John  Peters  was  certainly  not 
looking  at  his  best.  His  face  was  flushed,  his  dress  and 
hair  disordered;  there  was  a  red  light  in  his  eyes,  too, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  131 

which  the  stranger  saw  and  did  not  like.  He  turned 
back  to  the  girl  who  sat  by  his  side.  "  You  would  like  some 
wine?"  he  said.  "You  shall  have  it.  Call  the  waiter 
and  order  whatever  you  like." 

John  Peters  rose  unsteadily  to  his  feet.  Standing  in  the 
middle  of  the  sanded  floor,  he  banged  a  chair  upon  the 
ground,  and  called  loudly  for  Johann.  The  man  who  had 
first  appeared  came  from  the  inner  room,  and  stood  before 
him  silently. 

"Look  here,  Johann,"  John  Peters  cried,  "haven't  I 
told  you  before  when  I  come  to  honour  your  dirty  cafe  I 
will  not  have  these  infernal  strangers  prying  around.  No 
wonder  everyone  in  the  city  talks  about  me.  Why  can't 
you  keep  the  place  private,  you  dolt!" 

The  man  held  out  his  hand  as  though  in  protest.  "Sir," 
he  muttered  under  his  breath,  "it  is  a  stranger;  he  came 
here  by  accident.  If  you  talk  like  this  he  will  hear  you. 
He  will  guess  who  you  are." 

"What  do  I  care  if  he  knows?"  John  Peters  cried. 
"What  do  I  care  if  all  the  city  knows  what  I  do,  and  where 
I  choose  to  spend  my  time.  I  am  here  to  get  drunk,  and 
I  mean  to  get  drunk,  and  if  that  man"  —  he  advanced  a 
step  toward  the  stranger  —  "thinks  he  knows  who  I  am, 
or  if  he  has  come  here  to  find  out  who  I  am,  I  'd  as 
soon  wring  his  neck  as  drink  a  bottle  of  wine  with  you, 
Johann." 


132  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  stranger  half  rose  to  his  feet.  John  Peters  was 
looking  dangerous. 

"Sir,"  he  said,  "I  do  not  wish  to  quarrel.  If  I  am  an 
intruder  here  I  will  go  away;  but  I  understood  that  it  was 
a  public  place,  and  that  I  had  as  much  right  here  as  any 
one  else." 

The  man  named  Johann  came  between  them.  He  was 
beginning  to  understand  his  cue.  "  Gentlemen,"  he  said, 
"do  not  quarrel;  for  the  love  of  Heaven  do  not  quarrel. 
If  the  police  come  I  shall  be  ruined.  There  was  a  com- 
plaint against  me  last  week,  and  I  shall  have  to  go  before 
the  magistrates.  If  you  please,  sir." 

He  held  out  his  hand  and  tried  to  push  John  Peters  back, 
but  he  was  brushed  away  as  though  he  had  been  a  fly.  The 
stranger  and  John  Peters  were  standing  now  face  to  face. 

"Sir,"  John  Peters  cried,  his  tone  a  little  husky,  and 
swaying  unsteadily  upon  his  feet,  "I  want  to  ask  you  a 
question,  and  you  have  got  to  answer  it.  The  —  the  truth, 
mind,  no  damned  lies  for  me.  Do  you  know  who  I  am  ?  " 

"I  have  no  idea,"  the  man  answered  slowly. 

"Do  you  want  to  know?"  John  Peters  demanded. 

"I  have  no  curiosity,"  the  stranger  answered. 

John  Peters  leaned  over  and  struck  him  lightly  across  the 
cheek.  "You  are  a  liar!"  he  cried.  "You  followed  me 
here;  I  heard  your  footsteps  behind  me.  Wherever  I  go 
some  one  follows  me,  and  then  all  these  dirty  Republican 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  133 

papers  fill  their  pages  with  lies  about  my  doings.     If  I 
thought  you  were  one  of  them  I  M  wring  your  neck." 

The  man  had  stepped  a  little  back,  with  his  hand  to  his 
cheek  where  John  Peters  had  struck  him.  His  left  hand 
was  slowly  travelling  toward  his  inside  pocket.  John 
Peters  watched  him  for  a  moment,  and  then  suddenly 
seized  it.  With  a  cry  of  pain  the  man  dropped  the  revolver 
which  he  had  just  drawn. 

"  Now  I  know  you  're  a  spy,"  John  Peters  cried.  "  Lock 
the  door,  Johann.  I  am  going  to  teach  him  the  lesson  of 
his  life." 

The  man  began  to  shake.  There  was  something  terrible 
in  the  grip  of  John  Peters's  hands  upon  his  shoulders. 
He  knew  very  well  that  whether  his  assailant  was  drunk 
or  sober,  he  was  only  a  child  in  his  hands. 

"I  am  only  doing  my  duty,"  he  faltered.  "Let  me  go, 
and  I  will  tell  you  who  I  am." 

"  We  will  see  about  that,"  John  Peters  answered.  "  You 
lied  to  me  just  now  when  you  told  me  that  you  did  not 
know  who  I  was?" 

"I  did,"  the  man  answered  sullenly. 

John  Peters  shook  him  softly,  but  even  so  the  man's 
teeth  seemed  to  rattle  in  his  head.  "Who  am  I,  then?" 
he  asked.  "Tell  them  all,  tell  the  girls  and  Johann. 
Who  am  I?" 

"The  truth?"  the  man  gasped. 


134  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"The  truth,  unless  you  want  choking,"  was  the  answer. 

"You  are  John  Valentine,  Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland," 
the  man  faltered. 

"It  is  the  first  word  of  truth  you  have  spoken,"  John 
Peters  answered.  "  You  need  n't  look  around  you.  You 
have  n't  surprised  any  one.  They  all  know  me  here  except 
that  mummy  at  the  piano,  and  he  's  deaf  and  blind.  Now, 
then,  who  set  you  spying  upon  me?" 

"I  am  not  a  spy,"  the  man  declared.  "I  am  told  off  to 
follow  you  to  see  that  you  do  not  get  into  trouble." 

John  Peters  laughed  for  a  moment,  and  swayed  on  his 
feet  unsteadily.  "  You  mean  that  you  're  a  Government 
spy,  one  of  Bernhardt's  creatures?"  he  asked. 

"It  is  the  baron  himself,"  the  man  answered, 
"who  set  me  on  to  watch  you.  I  have  only  to  find 
out  where  you  go,  and  to  see  that  you  do  not  get  into 
trouble." 

John  Peters  turned  to  the  waiter.  "Bring  a  bottle  of 
wine,"  he  ordered.  "We  will  drink  to  the  health  of  this 
excellent  police  commissioner,  who  looks  so  well  after  his 
master.  Glasses  for  everyone.  There,  you  see,  I  let 
you  go,"  he  added,  relinquishing  his  hold  upon  his  captive, 
"but  if  you  had  been  spying  on  me  for  one  of  those  infernal 
Republican  papers,  I  'd  as  soon  have  wrung  your  neck  as 
looked  at  you.  Drink,  man,  here  's  health  to  Bernhardt, 
the  best  and  shrewdest  police  commissioner  in  Europe. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  135 

You  can  go  back  and  tell  him  about  this.  Tell  him  that 
we  drank  his  health." 

The  man  moved  toward  the  door,  but  John  Peters 
changed  his  mind.  "No,"  he  said,  "we'll  go  together. 
Sit  down  and  talk  to  that  young  lady.  We  must  finish  this 
bottle,  and  then  you  shall  see  me  home.  A  shrewd  fellow, 
Bernhardt.  I  am  not  sure  —  that  I  don't  need  some  one 
to  look  after  me  to-night." 

He  sank  back  upon  the  sofa.  His  hand  caught  hold  of 
the  girl's,  and  instantly  he  felt  something  passed  into  it, 
which  was  transferred  to  his  pocket,  and  all  the  time  he 
swayed  slightly  as  he  sat,  and  held  the  glass  to  his  lips, 
over  which  his  eyes  were  fixed  steadily  upon  the  other 
man.  The  girl  looked  at  him  in  swift  admiration.  He 
was  wonderful!  The  man  at  the  piano  turned  round  and 
bowed  his  thanks,  with  the  glass  of  wine  which  had  been 
handed  to  him  still  in  his  hand.  He  recommenced  to  play, 
and  John  Peters,  with  a  laugh,  staggered  to  his  feet  and 
danced  clumsily  round  with  the  girl  in  his  arms.  "  Dance, 
you  fool,"  he  cried  to  the  stranger.  "What  do  you  come 
here  for  but  to  enjoy  yourself !  Dance ! " 

The  man  did  as  he  was  told.  He  was  still  pale  with  fear. 
John  Peters  leaned  against  the  wall  and  roared  at  his 
clumsy  efforts. 

"Go  on,  man,"  he  cried.  "Why,  I  *d  sooner  see  you 
dance  than  the  Celestine  women.  Look  at  him,  Rosa,  how 


136  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

he  picks  his  feet  up.     Johann,  send  for  a  cab;  I  am  tired, 

I  am  going  home." 

The  man  bowed,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  clumsy,  old- 
fashioned  vehicle  drew  up  outside.  John  Peters  passed 
his  arm  through  the  other  man's,  and  they  left  the  place 
together.  With  a  crack  of  the  whip  the  carriage  rattled 
off  along  the  cobbled  street.  John  Peters  took  off  his  hat. 

"It  makes  one  feel  a  little  giddy,"  he  explained.  "Lis- 
ten, you  fellow,  what 's  your  name?" 

"Herrmann,"  the  man  answered. 

"Then  listen,  Herrmann,"  he  said,  "you  tell  our 
friend  Bernhardt  that  you  spent  the  evening  with  me,  and 
that  I  say  you  're  a  jolly  good  sort.  Tell  him  to  send  you 
out  every  night  to  follow  me  about.  I  like  it.  We  '11 
have  some  rare  times  together.  I  know  all  the  places  to 
go  to  enjoy  yourself.  So  I  ought,  eh  ?  My  own  city,  you 
know.  Where  do  you  want  to  get  out  ?  The  park  corner  ? 
Tell  the  coachman.  I  am  going  to  sleep.  Stay,  you  'd 
better  stop  and  see  that  I  get  safely  back  to  the  palace." 

He  leaned  back  in  the  carriage  and,  with  his  hands  in 
his  pockets,  closed  his  eyes  and  began  to  snore.  His 
companion  opened  the  door  of  the  carriage  softly  and 
jumped  out.  In  a  moment  or  two  John  Peters  sat  up 
and  shook  himself.  "Bernhardt  is  a  fool,"  he  said  softly 
to  himself,  "but  it  looks  as  though  at  last  he  were  begin- 
ning to  suspect." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

JOHN  PETERS  rose  in  his  stirrups,  and  with  his  right 
hand  to  his  mouth,  sent  forth  a  shout  which 
travelled  across  the  open  plain  like  the  report  of  a  cannon. 
Even  the  cows  grazing  by  the  riverside  looked  up;  a  man 
who  lay  upon  some  sacks  of  grain,  floating  down  the  canal 
on  a  flat-bottomed  boat,  woke  up  with  a  start,  and  nearly 
overbalanced  himself  in  his  desire  to  see  this  disturber  of 
the  early  morning's  peace.  And  the  man  for  whose  benefit 
the  shout  was  given,  wheeled  his  horse  abruptly  round  and 
waited. 

John  Peters  touched  his  great  bay  mare  with  the  spurs, 
and  galloped  across  the  open  country.  The  mud  flew 
up  behind  him,  the  very  ground  seemed  to  tremble  with  the 
thunder  of  his  horse's  hoofs.  Notwithstanding  his 
height,  he  rode  erect,  and  with  the  sure,  graceful  seat  of  a 
born  horseman.  Bernhardt,  who  rode  a  cob,  and  was  not 
at  his  best  in  the  saddle,  watched  him  approach  with 
admiration. 

"Where  have  you  sprung  from?"  he  called  out,  as  John 
Peters  drew  near.  "Why  this  amazing  energy?" 

"I  have  come  to  join  you  in  your  morning  ride,"  John 

137 


138  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Peters  answered.  "Somehow  I  fancied  that  we  could  talk 
better  here  than  in  your  grubby  office,  and  I  have  a  few 
things  to  say  to  you,  my  friend  Bernhardt." 

"You  came  in  search  of  me,  then?" 

"Why  not ?  It  is  pleasanter  to  talk  out  here,  and  one  is 
sure  of  not  being  overheard. J> 

The  two  men  rode  side  by  side  at  a  walking  pace.  John 
Peters,  with  his  great  stature,  and  on  his  magnificent  horse, 
towered  over  the  other  man,  who  seemed  like  a  child 
upon  a  pony. 

"Look  here,"  John  Peters  said,  "have  you  been  to  your 
office  this  morning,  Bernhardt?" 

The  other  shook  his  head.  "I  left  home  at  half-past 
six,"  he  replied.  "My  energy  does  not  go  so  far." 

"Well,  when  you  do  you  will  probably  find  one  of 
your  night-birds  anxious  to  make  a  report  to  you.  I  caught 
the  brute  shadowing  me  last  night." 

Bernhardt  smiled  pleasantly.  "Then  you  were  not  so 
drunk  as  usual,"  he  remarked. 

"I  am  never  so  drunk,"  John  Peters  answered,  "as  not 
to  see  what  is  going  on  around  me.  Fortunately,  I  was 
in  one  of  my  good  humours,  or  your  report  would  have 
come  from  a  hospital." 

"I  am  sorry,"  Bernhardt  said,  "if  he  annoyed  you." 

John  Peters  looked  down  at  his  companion  with 
darkening  face.  "Look  here,"  he  said,  "I  want  to 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  139 

know  by  what  right  you  dare  to  have  me  followed  and  a 
record  made  of  my  movements.  It  is  a  dirty  trick, 
Bernhardt." 

Bernhardt  shook  his  head.  "No,"  he  said,  "it  is  not 
that.  The  Prince  of  Bergeland  cannot  be  allowed  to  go 
unprotected  into  every  low  haunt  of  the  city.  In  my 
department  there  is  no  such  thing  as  curiosity.  You 
have  been  watched  because  you  are  Crown  Prince  of 
Bergeland." 

John  Peters  leaned  a  little  down  in  his  saddle.  His 
ridmg-whip  rested  between  the  ears  of  Bernhardt's  horse. 

"Is  that  the  truth?"  he  asked. 

"It  is,"  Bernhardt  answered  smoothly. 

"Is  it  the  whole  truth?"  John  Peters  persisted. 

Bernhardt  sat  for  a  moment  immovable  in  the  saddle. 
His  eyes  were  fixed  apparently  upon  the  glittering  mass  of 
spires  and  domes  and  chimneys,  where,  a  few  miles 
ahead,  the  city  spread  itself  out. 

"Does  anyone  ever  tell  the  wrhole  truth?"  he  asked 
quietly. 

John  Peters  bent  dov/n  once  more,  and  the  flash  in  his 
eyes  spoke  of  a  purpose.  "You,"  he  said,  "are  going  to 
tell  me  the  whole  truth  —  now.  I  demand  it.  What 
have  you  in  your  mind,  that  you  set  spies  to  dog  my 
movements?" 

Bernhardt    smiled    quietly.      He    looked    up    at    his 


140  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EAKTH 

companion.  "I  will  tell  you,"  he  said,  "one  thing 
that  is  in  my  mind.  I  believe  that  if  you  would  give  me 
your  entire  confidence,  if  you  would  trust  me  as  man  to 
man,  that  we  might  yet  save  this  country." 

John  Peters  was  sure  now  of  the  thing  which  he  had 
suspected.  He  looked  at  his  companion  thoughtfully. 
How  much  did  he  know  ?  How  much  ?  He  looked  away 
at  the  canal  by  the  side  of  which  they  were  riding. 

"You  seem  to  imagine,"  John  Peters  said,  "that  I  have 
secrets." 

"Who  has  not?"  Bernhardt  answered. 

John  Peters  laughed,  laughed  with  no  affected  merri- 
ment, but  with  real  boisterous  mirth.  "Ah,  my  dear 
Bernhardt,"  he  declared,  "you  are  a  great  man,  you  read 
me  like  a  book.  I  am  a  child  in  your  hands!  I  confess, 
then,  that  it  is  true.  I  have  a  secret." 

"I  am  very  sure  of  it,"  Bernhardt  answered  quietly. 
"I  am  also  sure  that  you  do  not  mean  to  tell  it  to  me." 

"If  I  did,"  John  Peters  declared,  "you  would  not 
believe  me." 

"Why  not?"  Bernhardt  answered.  "One  can  believe 
strange  things  of  a  man  like  you,  who  stands  to  Bergeland, 
the  country  over  which  he  should  one  day  rule,  for  the 
last  word  in  dissipation,  who  flaunts  his  debauches  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people,  who  frequents  the  low  dens  of  the  city, 
and  yet  rides  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  with  the 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  141 

complexion  and  colour  of  a  boy,  with  a  hand  as  steady 
as  a  rock  and  an  eye  as  clear  as  a  child's." 

"All  constitution,  my  friend,"  John  Peters  announced. 
"  I  am  as  strong  as  a  horse,  too.  Why  don't  you  enroll  me 
as  an  honourary  member  of  your  force,  and  put  me  on  the 
track  of  the  chief  of  the  Watchers?  I  'd  soon  account  for 
him." 

"There  are  words  spoken  in  jest  which  savour  often 
of  the  truth,"  Bernhardt  remarked.  "I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  gentleman  in  question  must  have  some 
very  powerful  friends." 

"You  are  rather  good  at  coming  to  conclusions,"  John 
Peters  remarked,  "and  meanwhile  the  cord  is  drawn  a  little 
tighter,  and  the  country  slips  away  from  us.  I  tell  you 
frankly  I  'm  off  to  Paris  in  a  few  days.  I  don't  believe  this 
place  is  going  to  be  good  for  my  health." 

Bernhardt  looked  at  him  curiously.  "There  's  no  hurry 
for  a  few  days,"  he  said,  "not,  at  any  rate,  until  after 
Parliament  has  met." 

"Even  your  spies,"  John  Peters  said  dryly,  "get  hold  of 
wrong  information  sometimes.  I  don't  mind  telling 
you,  Bernhardt,  that  I  don't  like  the  attitude  of  the 
people.  They  glower  so  as  one  passes,  and  very  seldom 
salute." 

"You  have  never  given  them  much  encouragement," 
Bernhardt  remarked.  "I  have  seen  you  ride  through  the 


142  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

city  often,  and  I  have  never  seen  you  return  a  single  greet- 
ing. His  Majesty  himself  is  not  genial,  but  you  act  as 
though  your  only  idea  was  to  incense  the  people." 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "My  infernal 
honesty,  I  suppose,"  he  remarked.  "I'm  hanged  if  I 
can  bow  and  smirk  like  a  shopman.  What  the  dickens 
is  this?  An  escort  come  for  you?" 

They  were  still  riding  by  the  side  of  the  canal,  but  they 
had  left  the  open  country  behind,  and  were  fast  approach- 
ing the  town.  Already  they  had  passed  several  large 
factories  and  rows  of  workingmen's  cottages,  and  the 
meadow-path  had  given  way  to  a  cinder-track.  Just  in 
front  of  them  was  a  lock  and  a  bridge,  on  which  were  drawn 
up  some  fifteen  or  twenty  policemen. 

"Not  exactly,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "I  had  them 
stationed  there,  however.  Would  you  be  interested  to 
joiow  why?" 

John  Peters  nodded.     He  was  looking  down  the  canal. 

"There  is  something,"  Bernhardt  continued,  "which 
'has  been  bothering  me  for  months,  and  that  is  how  arms 
•are  being  smuggled  into  Bergeland.  We  know  that  it 
is  being  done,  but  though  the  railways  and  roads  have 
been  thoroughly  watched,  we  have  never  discovered  a 
single  case.  It  occurred  to  me  that  they  might  come 
this  way.  I  am  going  to  have  all  the  barges  searched 
to-day." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  143 

"My  friend,  you  are  marvellous,"  John  Peters  declared. 
"You  think  of  everything,  but  I  cannot  see  any  barges." 

"There  will  be  plenty  during  the  day,"  Bernhardt 
answered.  "I  shall  wait  here  for  a  little  time." 

John  Peters  nodded.  "In  which  case,"  he  said,. 
"au  revoir.  Shall  we  see  you  at  the  palace  later?" 

"I  have  an  appointment  with  his  Majesty  at  eleven 
o'clock,"  Bernhardt  answered. 

John  Peters  nodded,  and  stopping  for  a  moment  to  light 
a  cigarette,  rode  slowly  off.  Directly  he  had  passed  a 
bend  in  the  road,  however,  he  touched  his  horse  with  the 
spurs,  and  cantered  along  until  he  came  to  a  small  inn  and 
beer-garden.  Here  he  dismounted  quickly  and  entered  the 
place.  A  man  was  standing  behind  the  counter,  who 
stared  at  his  visitor  in  amazement. 

"  I  wish  to  use  the  telephone,"  John  Peters  said.  "  What 
is  the  number  of  the  lock-house  below  Tratchen  ?" 

Still  staring,  the  man  told  him.  John  Peters  entered  the 
telephone  box,  and  was  there  for  about  five  minutes. 
When  he  reappeared,  he  produced  his  pocketbook  and 
counted  out  some  money. 

"Step  into  your  parlour  with  me  for  a  moment,"  John 
Peters  said  to  the  man,  whose  eyes  were  already  glistening. 
"I  should  like  a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  you." 

The  man  threw  open  the  door  and  John  Peters  followed 
him  in.  In  less  than  five  minutes  they  reappeared.  The 


144  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

visitor  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  away.  The  host  of 
the  inn  stood  like  a  man  dazed  for  several  moments.  Then 
he  poured  himself  out  a  glass  of  brandy  and  tossed  it  off. 
He  had  scarcely  done  so  when  Bernhardt  entered. 

"You  had  a  gentleman  here  to  use  the  telephone  five 
minutes  ago,"  he  said  brusquely. 

"It  is  very  true,"  the  man  admitted. 

"What  number  did  he  ring  up  ?"  Bernhardt  demanded. 

The  man  hesitated.  "We  do  not  tell  those  things," 
he  said;  "it  is  against  the  rule." 

"  You  will  have  to  tell  me,"  Bernhardt  declared.  "  I  am 
Baron  Bernhardt,  chief  of  the  police.  Two  of  my  men  are 
outside  if  you  doubt  my  word." 

The  man  began  to  shake.  "But,  sir,"  he  said,  "I  will 
tell  you  willingly.  It  was  a  very  tall  gentleman,  and — 
I  am  sure  that  he  was  mad.  He  rang  up  the  palace,  the 
king's  palace,  and  gave  orders  for  a  breakfast  to  be  ready 
in  half  an  hour." 

"Is  that  all?"  Bernhardt  asked. 

" Every  word,"  the  man  affirmed.  "  I  hope  there  will  be 
no  trouble." 

Bernhardt  turned  on  his  heel.  "No,  there  will  be  no 
trouble,"  he  said.  "The  gentleman  had  a  right  to  ring 
up  the  palace  if  he  wished  to.  He  was  the  crown  prince." 

The  man  gasped  with  astonishment.  It  was  a  wonder- 
ful morning! 


CHAPTER  XVII 

HER    visitor  had    come,  then  —  punctual    to    the 
second.     Grace  looked  up  from  her  book  with 
beating  heart. 

"Come  in!"  she  said. 

A  tall  figure,  wrapped  in  a  long  military  cloak,  entered. 
Grace  rose  to  her  feet.  The  room  was  a  small  one,  and 
his  first  step  had  brought  them  within  a  few  feet  of  each 
other.  Whatever  greeting  may  have  been  on  her  lips  died 
away.  For  his  part,  he  made  no  attempt  at  speech.  If  he 
felt  any  surprise  at  all,  he  concealed  it  marvellously. 
Grace,  on  the  other  hand,  was  taken  too  utterly  by  surprise 
to  conceal  her  emotions.  She  stared  at  him  with  wide- 
open,  terrified  eyes. 

"You!"  she  faltered  incredulously.  "I  don't  under- 
stand." 

He  laid  his  hat  upon  the  table.  "  You  must  remember," 
he  said,  "that  I  am  at  home  here,  and  that  Varia  is,  after 
all,  a  small  town  compared  with  London.  Strangers 
come  here,  and  it  is  soon  known,  especially  just  now 
when  the  city  is  disturbed.  Are  you  surprised  that  I 
should  come  to  bid  you  welcome?" 

145 


146  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Her  hand  touched  her  forehead.  Her  perplexity  was 
almost  pitiful.  "  I  was  not  expecting  you,"  she  murmured. 

"Naturally,"  he  answered,  "and  you  were  expecting 
some  one  else.  I  gathered  that  when  I  made  inquiries 
below.  Nevertheless,  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  in  the  way 
for  a  few  minutes.  I  will  go  directly  the  more  privileged 
person  arrives." 

"I  have  an  appointment  at  three  o'clock,"  she  said 
uneasily.  "I  think  that  the  person  who  is  coming  will 
expect  to  find  me  alone." 

"Then  ring  the  bell  and  tell  the  waiter  that  he  is  to 
be  shown  into  another  room  for  a  moment,  while  I  escape/' 
John  Peters  said.  "I  am  here,  and  I  am  going  to  claim  a 
few  minutes  of  your  time." 

She  did  as  she  was  told.  There  was  a  masterful  ring  in 
the  man's  tone,  from  which  it  was  hard  to  escape.  Then 
he  came  up  to  her  and  before  she  could  stop  him  took  her 
hands  firmly  in  his  own. 

"Listen.,"  he  said,  "you  have  walked  into  the  lion's 
•den.  This  is  my  own  city,  which  has  no  laws  for  me  — 
a  tyrant  and  a  libertine,  according  to  that  charming 
little  Republican  journal  which  I  saw  upon  your  table. 
You  are  in  my  power,  you  see,  and  you  must  obey  my 
orders." 

She  smiled  very  faintly.  She  did  not  look  in  the  least 
iterrified.  "Well,  we  will  see,"  she  answered. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  147 

"Sit  down  in  that  chair,"  he  said,  "and  tell  me  the 
meaning  of  that  ridiculous  scene  in  your  room  in  London." 

She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands.  He  leaned  over 
and  drew  them  away. 

"I  have  not  come  here  to  reproach  you,"  he  said  quietly. 
"I  can  quite  understand  a  great  many  people  having  a 
perfectly  justifiable  desire  to  see  me  dead.  But  you  — 
how  came  you  among  them?" 

"I  cannot  answer  that  question,"  she  said.  "You  must 
know  that  I  cannot!" 

He  nodded.  "Loyalty  to  friends,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing,  I  suppose,"  he  remarked.  "I  shouldn't  wonder, 
even,  if  you  belonged  to  some  secret  society  pledged  to 
exterminate  the  tyrants  of  the  earth  with  bowstring,  poison, 
or  bombs.  In  that  case  I  could  n't,  of  course,  expect  you 
to  tell  me  anything  about  it." 

"Don't  jest,"  she  begged,  with  a  little  catch  in  her  throat. 

"I  cannot  help  it,"  he  answered.  "There  is  something 
about  a  secret  society  which  always  appeals  to  my  sense  of 
humour.  They  do  seem  hopelessly  out  of  date,  don't 
they?  We  don't  need  them  in  Bergeland,  you  will  be 
pleased  to  hear.  The  Republicans  are  allowed  to  talk 
all  the  treason  they  like  in  Parliament.  They  are  propos- 
ing, I  believe,  to  give  my  uncle  a  week's  notice  when  they 
meet  again." 

"Will  he  go?"  she  asked  anxiously. 


148  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"I  think  not,"  John  Peters  answered.  "You  see,  he  is 
an  obstinate  old  man,  and  there  is  the  army!" 

"I  wish,"  she  said,  "that  you  would  go,  arid  he,  and 
leave  the  country  for  those  who  are  more  fit  to  govern  it." 

He  laughed  quietly.  It  was  always  rather  a  pleasant 
sight  to  see  John  Peters  laugh.  The  deep  lines  seemed 
smoothed  out  of  his  face,  the  hard  mouth  was  relaxed,  he 
seemed  years  younger.  "  Well,"  he  said,  "  I  cannot  answer 
for  my  uncle,  but,  on  certain  conditions,  I  will  go  myself  — 
presently." 

"What  are  they?"  she  asked  eagerly. 

Again  she  felt  her  hands  clasped. 

"That  you  go  with  me,  wherever  it  may  be." 

She  snatched  her  hands  away  and  rose  to  her  feet.  "I 
think,"  she  said,  pointing  to  the  door,  "that  you  had 
better  go." 

He,  too,  rose  and  stood  by  her  side,  masterful,  intense. 
Her  eyes  flashed  scorn  upon  him,  but  her  heart  grew  weak, 
and  she  felt  her  strength  melting  away.  There  were 
none  of  the  things  which  she  had  feared  to  see  in  his  face. 
It  was  a  man's  countenance.  It  seemed  honest.  Her 
brain  ran  riot  with  horrible  memories  of  the  stories  she  had 
heard.  It  was  he  —  the  hero  of  a  thousand  scandals  — 
who  was  daring  to  make  love  to  her. 

"No,"  he  said,  "I  don't  think  that  I  will— just  yet. 
Grace,"  he  added,  in  a  lower  tone,  "  I  could  never  ask  you 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  149 

to  be  Princess  of  Bergeland,  but  if  you  would  be  —  Mrs. 
John  Peters!" 

"Do  I  understand,"  she  asked,  "that  you  want  me  to 
marry  you?" 

"Certainly,"  he  answered,  "in  which  case  I  should 
remain  —  Mr.  John  Peters." 

"  Do  you  remember,"  she  asked, "  the  last  time  we  met  ?" 
"Certainly,"  he  answered.     "I  am  not  likely  to  forget 
it.     You  had  other  callers,  and  I  rather  thought  there  was 
going  to  be  a  row." 

"I  said  the  last  time,"  she  repeated.  "I  mean  a  week, 
no,  ten  days  ago." 

He  raised  his  eyebrows.  "Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "but 
I  do  not  understand." 

A  shade  of  anger  stole  into  her  face.  "You  are  not 
blessed  with  a  good  memory,"  she  remarked.  "Perhaps 
you  do  not  remember  meeting  me  on  my  way  from  the 
theatre,  and  coming  up  to  my  rooms?" 

"When  did  you  say  this  was?"  he  asked  quietly. 
She  thought  for  a  moment.     "A  week  last  Saturday," 
she  answered.     "You  wore  a  heavy  fur  coat,  and  you 
were  not  looking  quite  so  well  as  you  do  now." 

John  Peters  was  looking  very  serious  indeed.  "I  met 
you  on  the  way  from  the  theatre?  I  came  up  to  your 
rooms?"  he  repeated  slowly. 

"Exactly.     And  you  did  not  ask  me  to  marry  you!" 


150  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"I  don't  think,"  he  said  slowly,  "that  I  was  quite 
myself  that  afternoon." 

"I  came  to  the  same  conclusion,"  she  admitted. 

He  smiled  at  her  suddenly.  "Dear  Grace,"  he  said 
softly,  "don't  visit  upon  me  anything  that  wretched  fellow 
said  or  did.  I  am  one  of  those  unfortunate  persons  who 
are  cursed  with  a  dual  personality.  Be  kind  to  me,  and  1 
promise  that  you  shall  never  see  anything  of  that  other 
one." 

She  held  out  her  hands  to  keep  him  away.  "Oh!  it 
is  all  so  impossible,"  she  declared,  "so  utterly  impossible. 
Besides " 

"Besides  what?"  he  asked. 

"You  don't  really  mean  it,"  she  faltered. 

He  took  her  in  his  arms  —  her  resistance  was  very  faint 
indeed.  "Dear  Grace,"  he  whispered,  "give  me  a  chance 
to  prove  that  I  do  mean  it.  Go  back  to  England  to- 
morrow. Don't  stay  here.  Things  are  going  to  happen,  and 
you  are  better  out  of  the  way.  I  will  come  to  you  before 
long.  I  swear  it.  And  when  I  once  leave  Bergeland  I 
shall  never  return,  never;  that  is  to  say,  unless  I  do  so  as 
Mr.  John  Peters." 

"Oh!  I  wish  I  could,"  she  murmured  helplessly. 

He  released  her  for  a  moment  and  looked  into  her  face. 
A  scarlet  flush  had  stolen  into  her  cheeks,  there  were  tears 
in  her  eyes.  She  was  distractingly  beautiful. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  151 

"I  quite  forgot,"  he  said  smiling.  "You  are  a  con- 
spirator yourself,  are  n't  you  ?  Perhaps  that  is  why  you 
are  here." 

"Don't!"  she  begged. 

"Take  my  advice,  little  woman,"  he  said  seriously, 
"and  run  away  home.  I  will  let  you  into  a  state  secret. 
The  revolutionists  in  this  country  are  too  strong  to  need 
any  help.  They  have  got  us  in  the  hollow  of  their  hand. 
If  my  old  fool  of  an  uncle  insists  upon  using  the  military, 
we  shall  be  swept  out  of  the  country  for  all  time  before  a 
month  is  gone  by." 

"And  you?"  she  asked. 

"I  shall  take  care  that  I  am  swept  toward  London,"  he 
answered,  smiling. 

She  looked  up  at  him  half  tearfully.  "I  do  wish  that  I 
could  understand  you,"  she  said.  "You  spoke  to  me  just 
now  of  a  dual  personality.  I  am  quite  sure  that  there  are 
two  of  you.  There  is  the  Mr.  Peters  whom  I  met  at  St. 
Moritz,  at  the  Savoy,  and  now;  and  there  is  the  man  who 
almost  insulted  me  the  other  day,  the  man  whose  name  is  a 
byword  for  dissipation  in  every  city  of  Europe." 

John  Peters  nodded.  "We  are  rather  a  bad  lot,  I  am 
afraid,"  he  admitted,  "but,  Grace  dear,  I  promise  you 
this:  Be  a  brave  little  woman,  trust  me,  and  you  shall 
never  see  anything  of  the  wrong  John  Peters.  He  shall 
perish  with  the  kingdom  of  Bergeland.  John  Peters, 


{52  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

the  commoner,  shall  make  you  the  best  husband  woman 
«ver  had." 

"You  dear!"  she  murmured  softly,  "and  yet  it's  all 
so  ridiculous,  you  know.  I  'm  waiting  at  the  present 
moment  for  —  your  greatest  enemy." 

John  Peters  smiled.  "Now  I  wonder  who  that  might 
be?"  he  said.  "I  should  suggest  myself." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"I  know,"  he  continued;  "you  are  waiting  for  the  First 
Watcher." 

The  colour  fled  from  her  cheeks.  John  Peters  looked 
thoughtfully  out  of  the  window. 

"Why  should  I,"  he  said  softly,  "not  wait  with  you? 
They  tell  us  that  we  have  only  to  lay  hands  upon  him  and 
the  revolution  collapses." 

"You  can  do  that  if  you  will,"  she  said  simply,  "but  in 
that  case  I  can  never  return  to  England." 

"Fortunately,"  he  remarked,  turning  away  from  the 
window,  "I  am  not  at  all  sure  that  I  want  the  revolution 
to  collapse.  If  only  I  can  keep  my  old  idiot  of  an  uncle 
out  of  trouble." 

"He  deserves  anything  that  could  happen  to  him,"  she 
said  severely.  "  He  is  a  very  wicked  old  man,  quite  unfit 
to  rule  over  any  country  of  free  men  and  women." 

"I  entirely  agree  with  you,"  John  Peters  said,  "but 
what  about  myself?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  153 

"I  don't  believe  half  what  people  say,"  she  declared, 
"and  you  're  going  to  be  better  now,  anyway." 

He  took  her  into  his  arms  and  kissed  her.  "It's  a 
promise,"  he  said.  "When  will  you  come  out  with  me 
and  see  the  sights?" 

"Do  you  think  it  would  be  wise?"  she  asked. 

He  laughed.  "Wise  or  not,  you  are  coming,"  he  said. 
"  I  shall  call  for  you  at  half-past  ten  to-morrow  morning. 
If  I  meet  our  friend  on  the  stairs,  I  '11  hurry  him  up." 

She  shuddered,  and  withdrew  from  his  embrace.  "If 
you  only  knew!"  she  murmured,  as  he  passed  out. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THERE  was  a  ball  and  reception  at  the  palace  that 
night,  and  notwithstanding  the  fast  approaching 
political  crisis,  the  rooms  were  thronged  with  people. 
The  old  king  himself  received;  the  crown  prince,  glorious 
in  the  full-dress  uniform  of  the  Bergian  Guards,  stood  for 
a  time  at  his  right  hand.  After  midnight,  however,  the 
pedestal  was  deserted,  and  John  Peters,  followed  by  some 
of  his  suite,  strolled  through  the  rooms.  With  a  faint  smile 
of  amusement  he  noticed  the  mothers  and  chaperons 
gathering  in  their  flocks  with  anxious  care  as  he  passed. 
He  turned  with  a  smile  to  one  of  his  followers. 

"My  dear  Albert,"  he  said,  "after  all,  it  is  you  who  are 
the  fortunate  one.  Not  one  of  these  old  ladies  but  would 
smile  graciously  if  you  asked  her  daughter  to  dance. 
A  similar  request  from  me,  and  she  would  go  into 
hysterics." 

The  man  addressed  curled  his  moustache  and  brought 
his  spurs  together,  as  he  bowed  to  a  passing  couple.  "  Per- 
haps so,  your  Highness,"  he  answered,  "but  it  is  a  great 
reputation,  yours.  Do  you  notice  how  all  the  young  mar- 
ried women  watch  you  out  of  the  corners  of  their  eyes?" 

154 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  155 

"I  do  not  find  that  amusing,"  John  Peters  declared,  "for 
I  have  only  to  ask  one  of  them  to  dance,  and  I  make  an 
enemy  for  life  of  her  husband." 

"Still,"  the  young  man  declared  covetously,  "it  is  a 
glorious  reputation." 

John  Peters  smiled  a  little  queerly.  He  found  much 
in  life  to  amuse  him.  "Come,"  he  said,  "one  must  get 
a  little  fun  to  atone  for  all  that  one  misses.  I  shall  ask  the 
child  of  the  Baroness  de  Holdt  to  dance.  Stand  here  and 
watch,  my  young  friend." 

John  Peters  stopped  before  a  corpulent  lady  in  black 
velvet,  and  all  ablaze  with  diamonds.  She  rose  at  once, 
but  he  held  out  a  protesting  hand. 

"Do  not  disturb  yourself,  I  beg, dear  Baroness,"  he  said. 
"I  am  glad  to  see  you  here.  Permit  me  to  congratulate 
you  upon  the  appearance  of  your  daughter.  She  is  quite 
charming." 

The  baroness  received  the  compliment  with  obvious 
disquietude.  The  child  by  her  side,  a  slim,  fair- 
haired  little  thing  dressed  in  white,  lifted  her  large  eyes 
adoringly  to  the  crown  prince,  and  dropped  them  with 
a  vivid  blush. 

"The  young  men  are  scarce  to-night,  I  am  sure,"  John 
Peters  said,  "or  I  should  find  them  here.  Permit  me, 
mademoiselle,  the  pleasure  of  a  turn." 

The  child  rose  with  shy  pleasure.     The  young  captain, 


156  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

who  was  standing  by,  watched  with  delight  the  almost 
frantic  despair  of  the  baroness. 

"It  is  a  great  honour,  your  Highness,  but  my  daughter  is 
not  well  —  she  does  not  dance  yet." 

John  Peters  was  suddenly  deaf.  He  passed  out  of  the 
room  with  the  child  clinging  to  his  arm  in  shy  pleasure,  and 
entered  the  dancing-salon,  where  every  one  made  way. 
Twice,  three  times,  they  went  round,  John  Peters  looking 
down  with  a  smile  of  amusement  into  the  flushed,  happy 
face  of  the  girl,  who  was  thoroughly  enjoying  this,  the 
proudest  moment  of  her  life.  Then,  as  the  dance  finished, 
John  Peters  calmly  led  his  partner  out  by  the  door  opposite 
the  one  by  which  the  baroness  was  making  frantic  efforts 
to  attract  her  daughter's  attention. 

"I  think,"  she  said  hesitatingly,  "that  my  mother  wants 
me." 

"No  doubt,"  he  answered  coolly,  "but  your  mother  can 
have  you  for  the  rest  of  your  life.  The  next  five  minutes 
belong  to  me." 

He  led  her  to  a  quiet  corner.  The  other  loiterers  melted 
respectfully  away.  The  child's  heart  began  to  beat  fast. 
She  was  alone  with  this  terribly  wicked,  wonderfully  hand- 
some man.  What  delightful  excitement!  Would  he  kiss 
her,  she  wondered.  She  lifted  her  eyes  to  his  and  hoped 
so,  desperately. 

"Is  this  your  first  dance,  child?"  he  asked. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  157 

His  tone  was  kind,  but  there  were  not  the  things  in  it 
which  she  had  expected. 

"My  second,"  she  answered  shyly.  "I  came  to  the  last 
one,  but  I  like  this  much  better." 

He  laughed  at  her  genially.  "I  hope,"  he  said,  "that 
you  will  come  to  many  more." 

"And  dance  with  your  Highness  again?"  she  asked, 
looking  up  at  him. 

His  face  was  suddenly  serious.  "Ah,  little  girl,  that  I 
cannot  say,"  he  answered.  "Only  I  hope  that  very  soon 
you  will  find  some  one  to  dance  with  you  who  will  make 
you  a  good  husband,  as  you  will  make  him  a  good  wife. 
A  great  chapter  of  the  history  of  this  country  will  be  lived 
during  the  next  few  months,"  he  added,  turning  toward 
her  with  a  grave  smile,  "and  much  of  her  future  greatness 
will  depend  upon  her  young  men  and  young  women. 
You  girls  especially  can  do  so  much.  Always  remember 
that  the  life  of  a  country  is  as  the  life  of  her  citizens. 
Will  you  try  what  you  can  do  ?" 

"  I  will  try,"  she  promised,  looking  at  him  with  shin- 
ing eyes. 

"You  are  such  a  child,"  he  said,  smiling  at  her,  "and 
you  have  the  right  to  amuse  yourself.  Only  remember 
that,  underneath,  life  has  graver  purposes.  Our  country 
needs  her  sons  and  daughters  to  remember  this  just  now. 
Here  comes  your  mother,  looking  somewhat  disturbed." 


158  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  baroness,  considerably  flustered,  approached  them 
nervously,  defying  etiquette  in  her  great  anxiety.  John 
Peters  rose  from  his  place.  "I  resign  your  daughter, 
madam,"  he  said,  with  twinkling  eyes,  "to  your  anxious 
care.  Mademoiselle,  I  thank  you  for  your  dance,  and  for 
the  pleasure  of  your  conversation." 

He  left  them  with  a  low  bow.  The  baroness  looked  into 
her  daughter's  shining  eyes  and  trembled.  "Sophie," 
she  exclaimed,  "did  he,  did  he  try  to  make  love 
to  you?" 

"I  don't  think  you  would  call  it  that,"  the  child  answered 
with  a  demure  smile. 

"  He  did  n't  even  try  to  kiss  you  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head.  "He  did  n't  show  the  least  desire 
to,"  she  answered.  "I  —  I  wish  he  had!" 

The  baroness  sank  down  with  relief  upon  the  couch, 
relief  mingled  with  just  displeasure  at  her  daughter's  last 
speech.  "How  dare  you  say  such  a  thing,  Sophie!"  she 
exclaimed.  "If  you  only  knew  what  sort  of  a  man 
he  is!" 

The  child  looked  up  at  her  mother  and  smiled.  "That 
is  just  what  I  don't  think  people  do  know,  mother,"  she 
answered.  "If  any  one  ever  dares  to  say  anything  against 
him  before  me,  I  shall  count  him  my  enemy." 

John  Peters  walked  on  and  made  his  way  through  the 
throng,  which  opened  respectfully  to  let  him  pass,  until  he 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  159 

found  the  man  he  sought.  "  Bernhardt,"  he  said,  touching 
him  on  the  shoulder,  "we  will  drink  a  bottle  of  wine 
together." 

"Your  Royal  Highness  is  very  kind,"  Bernhardt 
answered. 

They  found  a  comer  in  the  reserved  portion  of  the  buffet. 

"Tell  me,"  John  Peters  asked,  "did  you  have  any  luck 
this  morning?" 

Bernhardt  shook  his  head.  "No,"  he  answered. 
"Their  cursed  spies  must  be  everywhere.  A  dozen  barges 
v  were  all  unloaded  a  few  locks  down,  and  the  contents 
spirited  away  somewhere." 

John  Peters  sipped  his  wine.  "You  don't  seem  fortu- 
nate lately,  do  you?"  he  remarked. 

Bernhardt  opened  his  lips,  but,  remembering  in  whose 
presence  he  was,  remained  silent. 

John  Peters  only  smiled.  "Swear  away,  my  friend," 
he  said.  "  If  it  makes  you  feel  any  better,  don't  mind  me. 
I  'm  not  sure  that  it  is  n't  I  who  ought  to  be  doing  the 
swearing,  though.  The  rifles  which  you  have  failed  to 
capture  are  probably  destined  to  empty  their  bullets  at 
these  windows." 

"I  trust  that  it  will  never  come  to  that,"  Bernhardt 
answered  gloomily. 

John  Peters  laughed.  "But  you  know  very  well  that  it 
will,"  he  remarked,  "and  so  do  I.  We  jest  together,  you 


160  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

and  I,  Bernhardt,  but  we  know  that  the  kingdom  of  Berge- 
land  is  doomed." 

"Internally,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "I  do  believe  that 
we  are  in  a  serious  state.  But  there  remains  one  factor 
which  you  and  I  have  never  discussed." 

"The  army,"  John  Peters  said  quickly. 

"No.  That!"  Bernhardt  answered,  leaning  forward 
and  pointing  with  a  silent  gesture  through  the  parted  cur- 
tains, out  into  the  great  hall. 

John  Peters  leaned  a  little  to  one  side,  and  followed  his 
companion's  finger  with  anxious  eyes.  Upon  the  raised 
dais  the  king  still  sat,  and  by  his  side  the  German 
ambassador. 

"I  should  prefer,"  he  said  softly,  "a  republic." 

Bernhardt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "We  should  at 
least  rule  ourselves,"  he  remarked,  "but  I  am  very  sure  of 
one  thing.  If  German  troops  once  cross  the  frontier  of 
Bergeland,  they  will  never  leave  it." 

John  Peters  rose.  "I  will  go  and  join  in  that  little 
conference,"  he  said.  "I  have  no  fancy  for  Prince  de 
Suess." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  king  welcomed  his  nephew  with  unusual  cordi- 
ality.    His  long,  lean  face  was  a  little  flushed, 
and  his  eyes  were  unnaturally  bright.     "The  prince  and  Ir 
John,"  he  said,  "have  been  having  a  most  interesting 
conversation.     Come  and  join  us." 

John  Peters  exchanged  cold  greetings  with  the  man 
whom  he  cordially  disliked,  and  sank  down  upon 
the  couch. 

"His  Majesty,"  the  prince  said,  turning  to  John  Peters, 
"like  all  of  us,  is  somewhat  disturbed  over  the  recent 
elections  and  the  great  Republican  gains  throughout  the 
country.  I  took  the  liberty  of  reminding  him  that  we  in 
Germany  were  once  placed  in  a  somewhat  similar  position. 
We  had  for  one  session  a  parliament  which  practically 
contained  a  revolutionist  majority.  It  was  no  use  making 
a  fuss.  We  simply  sat  tight,  and  the  emperor  vetoed 
every  measure  which  he  felt  was  inimical  to  the  interests 
of  the  country.  A  crisis  arose,  there  was  a  dissolution  and 
a  fresh  election.  It  was  at  a  time  when  we  were  on 
indifferent  terms  with  a  great  power,  and  the  nation 

did   not    hesitate.      There  was   a    clean    sweep  of  the 

161 


162  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

revolutionists.      To-day  in  our  country  they  are  scarcely 
a  power  to  be  reckoned  with." 

"That  is  all  very  well,  my  dear  prince,"  John  Peters 
said,  "  but  you  must  remember  that  your  emperor  held  the 
winning  card  all  the  time.  The  army  was  his,  and  against 
it  the  people  were  powerless." 

"It  is  the  same  with  us,"  the  king  declared.  "The 
army  is  loyal.  Grobener  has  staked  his  honour  upon  it." 

"Even  if  Grobener  is  not  too  sanguine,"  John  Peters 
said,  "what  is  our  army?  Seven  to  ten  thousand  men 
against  half  a  million.  Besides,  we  don't  want  to  see  our 
streets  and  squares  run  red  with  the  blood  of  our  own 
people.  The  German  army  was  too  mighty  a  force  ever  to 
be  resisted.  If  it  came  to  a  crisis  the  people  would  cer- 
taimy  go  for  ours." 

"I  think,  my  dear  sir,"  the  ambassador  said  suavely, 
"that  you  exaggerate  the  Republican  spirit  in  your 
country.  But  remember  that,  in  case  of  need,  we  could 
march  a  hundred  thousand  men  over  your  frontier  with  half 
an  hour's  notice." 

"But  would  you  do  it?"  the  king  asked  eagerly. 

The  prince  smiled.  "Why  not?  The  one  thing  my 
master  hates  is  a  republic,  and  he  is  not  likely  to  tolerate 
one  as  a  neighbour.  His  help  would  be  yours  in  time  of 
emergency." 

"The  day  a  German  soldier  sets  foot  on  Bergian  soil  in 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  163 

fighting  trim,"  John  Peters  declared,  "will  be  the  begin- 
ning of  the  end  of  this  country.  The  nation  which  era- 
ploys  mercenaries  to  fight  her  battles  is  indeed  at  her 
last  gasp." 

Prince  de  Suess  rose  a  little  stiffly.  "The  troops  of 
a  friendly  country,  your  Royal  Highness,"  he  said, 
"who  would  probab'.y  be  required  to  do  no  more  than 
demonstrate,  can  scarcely  be  termed  mercenaries.  How- 
ever, we  will  let  the  matter  end  here.  I  trust  that  the 
necessity  for  resuming  this  conversation  may  never 
occur." 

The  ambassador  bowred  and  took  his  leave.  The  king, 
with  a  heavy  frown  upon  his  thick  eyebrows,  turned 
toward  his  nephew. 

"You  are  a  fool,  John,"  he  said  angrily.  "You  have 
sent  away  angry  the  man  who  might  have  proved  our 
salvation." 

John  Peters  laughed  softly  as  he  rose  to  his  feet.  "  Did 
you  ever  hear  of  Germany  doing  an  unselfish  action?" 
he  asked.  "If  she  saved  us  from  being  robbed  of  our 
kingdom  by  our  own  people,  it  would  be  so  that  she  could 
the  easier  grab  it  for  herself.  Here  comes  the  doctor  to 
remind  you  that  you  are  sitting  up  late.  I  want  to  see 
Bernhardt  again  for  a  moment." 

He  found  Bernhardt  where  he  had  left  him,  and  sub- 
sided into  his  old  seat.  "I  want  to  ask  you  something, 


164  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Bernhardt,"  he  said.  "When  I  came  back  from  England 
a  short  time  ago,  do  you  remember  my  telling  you  about 
a  little  adventure  I  had  there?" 

"Perfectly,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "I  have  been  mak- 
ing some  most  interesting  inquiries." 

"Find  out  anything?" 

"Yes,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "I  found  out  that  the 
police  of  Vienna  and  Paris  and  Berlin  were  all  keen  on 
the  scent,  besides  the  Londoners.  I  could  tell  you  of 
seven  assassinations  which  are  supposed  to  have  been 
committed  under  the  auspices  of  our  friends.  It  is  a 
society  for  the  extermination  of  tyrants.  There  are  three 
men  and  one  woman  member  of  every  country,  and  the 
leader  of  the  movement  in  England  is  a  highly  philan- 
thropic tradesman  and  a  member  of  Parliament.  They 
all  aid  and  abet  one  another  in  these  removals,  as  they  call 
them,  and  they  do  it  so  well  that  so  far  they  have  never 
even  been  nearly  caught.  A  good  many  of  them  are 
absolutely  known,  but  there  is  n't  a  scrap  of  evidence 
against  anybody.  It  is  curious  you  should  mention  this 
matter  just  now." 

"Why?"  John  Peters  asked. 

"Because,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "I  have  just  received 
an  intimation  from  London  that  a  person  connected  with 
this  enterprise  is  in  Varia  to-day." 

John   Peters   smiled    thoughtfully.     "Wonderful,    this 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  165 

police  system,"  he  remarked.     "Is  it  a  man  or  a  woman 
who  has  come?" 

Bernhardt  smiled.  "Woman,"  he  answered,  "tall, 
dark,  handsome.  Here  under  her  own  name, 
Grace  Pellisier.  Staying  with  her  maid  at  the  Hotel 
Bergman.  Was  visited  this  afternoon  by  —  whom  do 
you  think?" 

"I  am  fascinated,"  John  Peters  declared,  "go  on." 

"By  His  Royal  Highness  the  Crown  Prince  of  Berge- 
land,"  Bernhardt  said. 

John  Peters  leaned  back  in  his  seat.  "I  am  dumb- 
founded," he  declared.  "  Bernhardt,  you  are  marvellous. 
You  have  eyes  everywhere.  I  am  afraid  of  you!" 

"And  I  of  your  sarcasm,"  Bernhardt  answered  grimly. 
"Never  mind,  your  Royal  Highness.  Even  we  blabbing 
policemen  don't  tell  everything.  Some  little  thoughts  we 
keep  at  the  back  of  our  heads." 

John  Peters  smiled  as  he  rose.  "If  that  means  that 
you  do  not  tell  me  everything,  Bernhardt,  I  think  that  you 
are  very  unkind,"  he  said.  "I  shall  not  stay  with  you 
any  longer.  I  shall  go  and  talk  with  the  young  lady  from 
England." 

He  moved  away.  Bernhardt  rose  up  swiftly  with  a 
little  exclamation.  He  saw  John  Peters  go  through  the 
opening  into  the  great  hall,  and  bow  low  before  an  elderly 
lady  of  distinguished  appearance. 


166  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Dear  Madame  de  Sayers,"  he  said,  "I  am  sure  I  am 
not  mistaken  in  your  companion.  Surely  I  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  Miss  Pellisier  act  in  London." 

Madame  de  Sayers  turned  toward  her  companion,  and 
would  have  presented  her,  but  John  Peters  hastily 
intervened. 

"Let  us  banish  such  formalities,"  he  said,  smiling.  "I 
think  myself  that  royalty  should  be  presented  to  the 
artist,  not  the  artist  to  royalty!  I  consider  that  Miss 
Pellisier  and  I  are  already  friends,  for  I  have  seen  her  at 
the  theatre.  I  congratulate  you,  young  lady,"  he  added 
with  a  smile,  "upon  a  kingdom  more  stable  than  mine,  I 
fear,  will  ever  be." 

Grace  only  bowed.  It  was  Madame  de  Sayers  who 
replied. 

"I  trust  your  Highness's  words  are  spoken  in  jest,"  she 
said  gravely. 

"Always  in  jest,  madame,"  he  answered  smiling.  "Is 
that  not  my  reputation?  Will  Miss  Pellisier  permit  me 
to  take  her  to  the  supper-room  ?  Albert,"  he  said,  turning 
round  to  one  of  his  suite,  "  Madame  de  Sayers  will  do  you 
the  honour." 

They  moved  off.  Grace  carried  herself  erect,  with  a 
slight  but  unusual  flush  upon  her  cheeks.  She  wore  a 
dress  of  dove-coloured  silk,  which  shimmered  as  she 
walked,  and  a  string  of  pearls  hung  from  her  neck.  There 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  167 

was  no  woman  in  the  room  of  more  distinguished 
appearance,  and  every  one  stared  at  the  couple  in 
respectful  wonder  as  they  made  way. 

"  I  am  terribly  afraid  of  you,"  Grace  declared,  as  they 
entered  the  supper-room.  "I  have  never  seen  you  like 
this  except  at  a  distance.  How  often  ought  I  to  call  you 
'your  Royal  Highness'?" 

"Every  sentence,"  he  answered,  smiling,  "but  I'll  let 
you  call  me  'John'  instead." 

"I  am  overcome,"  she  murmured. 

"Have  a  try,"  he  suggested  encouragingly.  "It 's  quite 
an  easy  name." 

She  shook  her  head.  "If  ever  I  did,"  she  said,  "it 
would  have  to  be  when  you  were  not  so  gorgeous." 

He  looked  down  at  himself  —  a  blaze  of  blue  and  gold 
and  white,  with  jewelled  orders  and  gilded  lace.  "I  do 
look  rather  well  in  these  things,  don't  I?"  he  remarked, 
with  a  humorous  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  "It  is  the  only 
thing  I  shall  regret  —  I  mean  that  John  Peters  will  regret. 
And  Mrs.  John,  too,  perhaps?" 

"You  '11  never  look  half  so  nice  in  ordinary  clothes," 
she  admitted,  "but " 

"But  what?"  he  whispered. 

"You  '11  look  more  like  John  Peters." 

Some  supper  was  placed  before  them,  and  wine  in  gold 
cups.  She  handled  hers  with  mock  reverence.  "I  can 


168  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

never  drink  out  of  it,"  she  declared.  "  Are  we  supposed 
to,  really?" 

"It 's  your  last  chance,"  he  answered.  "The  Republi- 
cans are  going  to  melt  them  down  to  pay  off  the  arrears  of 
the  education  bill.  By  the  by,  how  did  you  come  to  be 
here  with  Madame  de  Sayers  ? " 

"You  were  surprised?"  she  asked,  smiling. 

"A  little,"  he  admitted.  "Madame  de  Sayers  seemed 
such  a  queer  companion  for  a  red-hot  Republican  like  you. 
By  the  by,  do  you  know  that  that  champagne  is  paid  for 
by  a  groaning  democracy?" 

"It  tastes  very  good,"  she  answered.  "I  came  with 
Madame  de  Sayers  because  she  happens  to  be  my  aunt." 

It  was  his  turn  to  be  surprised.  He  looked  at  her  for  a 
moment  and  set  down  his  glass.  "Then  you  are  half 
Bergian!"  he  exclaimed. 

She  nodded.  "  Madame  de  Sayers  and  my  mother  were 
sisters,"  she  said. 

"It  is  quite  extraordinary,"  he  declared.  "Your  aunt 
comes  from  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  aristocratic  families 
in  the  country." 

"I  suppose,"  she  said,  "I  am  the  inevitable  reaction. 
But  if  I  wanted  to  be  spiteful,  I  might  remind  you  of  our 
conversations  at  St.  Moritz." 

"There  is  republicanism  and  republicanism,"  he 
answered.  "There  is  the  logical  desire  of  a  man  to  stand 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  169 

upon  his  own  feet  and  live  his  own  life,  and  there  is  the 
misguided  unrest  which  breeds  Nihilists  and  secret 
societies,  which  turns  out  thousands  and  thousands  of 
parasitical  creatures  who  are  nothing  but  a  blot  upon  the 
earth.  They  wrould  win  by  sickening  crime  what  God  in 

his  good  time " 

John  Peters  broke  off  in  his  sentence  and  sprang  to  his 
feet.  Grace  swayed  for  a  moment  in  her  chair  and  then 
staggered  up.  A  low  rumbling,  like  the  beginning  of  a 
thunder-storm,  was  followed  by  a  loud  report,  and  then 
another.  John  Peters  caught  his  companion  by  the  wrist 
and  dragged  her  to  the  door. 


CHAPTER  XX 

rT^HE  scene  out  in  the  great  hall  was  one  of  wild  con- 
JL  fusion.  In  the  middle  and  toward  the  upper  end 
the  terrified  women  were  all  huddled  together,  shrieking. 
From  the  south  side,  the  great  glass  windows  had  been 
blown  out,  and  one  could  see  distinctly  across  the  corridor 
and  entrance  hall,  to  where  a  breach  had  been  made  in  the 
outer  wall  of  the  palace  itself.  Little  puffs  of  smoke  were 
coming  in,  and  a  curious  red  glare  illuminated  the  court- 
yard. Beyond,  the  guard  to  the  palace  had  been  momen- 
tarily overpowered,  and  men  were  everywhere  climbing 
over  the  high  palings.  Many  were  already  in  the  open 
space,  running  toward  the  palace  front  and  shouting  to 
their  comrades  to  come  on.  In  the  fitful  red  light  their 
faces  seemed  like  the  faces  of  demons. 

John  Peters  came  to  a  standstill  in  front,  of  the 
breach.  He  let  go  Grace's  wrist,  and  his  sword  flashed 
from  its  scabbard.  "Women  to  the  north  rooms  of 
the  palace,"  he  shouted.  "Brother  officers  and  men 
to  me." 

He  pushed  Grace  away  from  him  and  sprang  toward 
the  breach,  followed  by  a  dozen  or  more  of  others.  The 

170 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  171 

foremost  of  the  rioters  were  already  in  the  corridors  when 
John  Peters  and  his  little  band  swept  down  upon  them. 

"Outside,  you  dogs!"  he  cried  fiercely.  "A  moment's 
grace  only.  Out  you  go!" 

The  drawn  sword  and  the  face  of  John  Peters,  black 
with  rage,  were  terrifying  enough.  The  rioters  hesitated. 
Only  their  leader  sprang  forward,  and  without  a  moment's 
hesitation  John  Peters  ran  him  through  the  body.  The 
man  threw  up  his  arms  and  fell  with  a  shriek,  and  John 
Peters,  his  sword  red  with  blood,  stepped  out  through  the 
opening  in  the  wall  —  out  into  the  gravelled  space  before 
the  palace. 

"To  your  homes,  you  dogs!"  he  cried,  "you  cowards, 
who  make  war  upon  women  and  old  men!  To  your 
homes,  or  by  heaven  you  will  never  reach  them  alive!" 

For  a  moment  the  mob  seemed  cowed.  Then  mutter- 
ings  began,  and  finally  a  hoarse  roar  of  voices.  Those  who 
had  retreated  began  to  reclimb  the  palings.  John  Peters 
stepped  even  further  forward,  so  that  all  could  see  him. 

"I  speak  to  save  the  life  of  any  honest  fool  who  may  be 
among  you,"  he  cried.  "  One  step  farther  and  you  come 
to  your  death.  Look  yonder." 

They  turned  their  heads  and  saw  the  soldiers,  some  half 
dressed,  hastening  from  the  side  door  of  the  palace  to  the 
row  of  Maxims  hastily  being  wheeled  into  position.  Some 
one  from  the  crowd  raised  a  rifle  and  fired;  the  bullet 


172  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

whistled  past  the  ear  of  the  man  who  stood  there  so  con  • 
spicuous  an  object,  and  flattened  itself  harmlessly  against 
the  wall  of  the  palace.  As  if  in  answer  the  Maxims  spoke. 
In  an  instant  the  air  was  hideous  with  shrieks.  A  long 
line  of  the  rioters  threw  up  their  arms,  staggered  away, 
and  collapsed.  Scarcely  one  was  left  unhurt  within  the 
enclosure,  and  from  somewhere  beyond  the  square  came 
the  roll  of  drums.  It  was  enough.  The  rioters  broke 
and  fled. 

John  Peters  walked  about  for  a  few  minutes  giving 
orders.  A  regiment  of  soldiers  marched  into  the  enclosure, 
guns  were  hastily  mounted,  and  the  gates  secured.  But 
the  rioters  seemed  to  have  melted  away.  In  a  few 
moments  the  square  was  deserted. 

The  man  who  had  stayed  the  panic  turned  and  walked 
slowly  back  into  the  palace.  There  was  still  the  ugly 
breach  in  the  wall,  where  two  of  the  great  windows  had 
been  blown  away,  but  the  fire  was  already  extinct.  He 
stepped  across  the  corridor  and  into  the  great  ballroom, 
thronged  with  terrified  women,  screaming,  asking  wild 
questions,  hysterical.  The  blood  from  the  sword  which 
he  still  carried  was  dripping  slowly  upon  the  polished  floor. 

"Ladies,"  he  said,  raising  his  voice  so  that  every  one  in 
the  hall  might  hear,  "let  me  assure  you  that  there  is  no 
danger  of  any  sort.  A  bomb  has  been  thrown  through  one 
of  the  windows  of  the  palace,  and  a  certain  amount  of 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  173 

damage  done.  The  fire,  however,  is  extinct,  and  the 
rioters  have  been  dispersed.  The  front  of  the  palace  is 
held  by  the  soldiers,  who  have  been  quartered  in  the 
building  for  the  last  week  or  so,  and  there  is  not  the 
slightest  sign  of  any  further  attack." 

There  were  cries  and  murmurs  of  relief  from  all  sides. 
Then  some  one  called  his  attention  to  the  sword  which  he 
still  carried,  and  he  thrust  it  hastily  into  the  scabbard. 

"There  may  be  a  little  delay,  ladies,  before  you  can 
leave,"  he  continued,  "as  all  carriages  have  been  ordered  to 
the  park  entrance.  The  dancing  will  recommence,  the 
supper-room  is  at  your  command.  Pray  continue  to 
amuse  yourselves." 

A  few  women  began  to  sob  hysterically.  The  rest  sat 
with  white  faces.  John  Peters  strolled  to  the  bandmaster 
and  whispered  in  his  ear.  Then  he  looked  round  for  a 
moment  and  walked  toward  a  distant  couch,  where  a  child 
sat  with  her  face  buried  in  her  hands,  and  a  woman  sobbed 
hysterically. 

"Little  girl,"  he  said,  bending  over  her,  "will you  prove 
that  you  are  going  to  grow  up  to  be  a  true  daughter  of 
Bergeland?  Will  you  dance  with  me?" 

Though  white  as  a  sheet,  she  nevertheless  rose  at  once 
to  her  feet.  The  music  struck  up,  and  they  glided  away. 
She  bit  her  lips  till  the  blood  came,  but  she  laughed  softly 
in  his  face 


174  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Your  Highness  dances  better  than  any  one  else  in  the 
world,"  she  said,  "but  —  you  must  take  off  your  sword  — 
or  I  shall  faint." 

He  looked  downward  and  saw  that  they  were  leaving 
a  faint  trail  of  blood.  He  stopped  for  a  moment,  and, 
unfastening  the  belt,  handed  it  to  a  servant.  She  half 
closed  her  eyes,  and  he  felt  her  weight  against  his  arm, 
but  her  feet  moved  to  the  music. 

"Go  on!"  she  begged.     "Don't  stop,  please!" 

Others  had  followed  their  lead.  Soon  the  floor  became 
crowded.  At  the  sound  of  the  music  and  the  sight  of 
the  dancers  even  the  most  terrified  began  to  feel  reassured. 
The  moments  of  that  dumb  horror  were  past. 

John  Peters  came  to  a  standstill,  and,  feeling  his 
partner  clutch  at  his  arm,  led  her  toward  the  supper-room. 
"You  are  a  dear,  brave  child,"  he  said  softly,  "and  I  am 
going  to  make  you  drink  a  glass  of  wine  before  I  take  you 
back  to  your  mother." 

They  passed  into  the  tiny  annex  to  the  supper-room, 
curtained  off  for  royalty  and  the  man  in  waiting  rushed 
off  for  the  wine  which  John  Peters  ordered.  Suddenly  she 
leaned  across  and  looked  up  at  him.  Her  eyes  were  like 
stars. 

"I  saw  you  outside,"  she  said,  "I  saw  you  save  us  all. 
Never  in  all  my  days  shall  I  believe  those  terrible  things 
which  people  say  of  you." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  175 

He  took  her  little  face  in  his  great  hands,  and  kissed  her 
upon  the  forehead,  very  lightly,  almost  reverently.  "  Little 
lady,"  he  said,  "it  was  nothing  that  I  did.  We  were  quite 
safe,  really.  Still,  I  shall  always  like  to  think  that  one 
person  believes  me  not  quite  so  bad  as  the  world  would 
make  me  out." 

He  made  her  drink  wine,  and  the  colour  slowly  came 
back  to  her  cheeks.  Then  he  slipped  a  ring  from  his 
finger  on  to  hers. 

"You  must  wear  this,"  he  said,  "in  memory  of  this 
evening,  until  you  are  married.  Then  you  may  give  it 
to  your  husband." 

As  they  rose,  she  kissed  his  hand  with  a  sudden  impul- 
sive movement.  She  did  not  say  a  word,  even  when  he 
left  her  with  her  mother. 

"Madame,"  he  said,  bowing  low,  "you  should  be  very 
proud  of  your  daughter.  We  all  owe  her  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude. Bergeland  will  always  prosper  so  long  as  her  sons 
have  the  courage  of  her  daughters." 

There  was  a  little  murmur  and  a  rustling  of  dresses  as  the 
women  rose.  The  king  came  down  the  room.  He  was 
ghastly  pale,  and  he  leaned  heavily  upon  his  stick,  but  his 
eyes  were  almost  unnaturally  bright.  He  let  his  hand 
fall  upon  his  nephew's  shoulder  heavily. 

"Now  what  about  the  army,  eh,  John?"  he  de- 
manded. "Who  said  they  would  not  fire  upon  rioters, 


176  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

eh?     Grobener  told  me  the  truth.     I  am  almost  glad 

this  has  happened.     We  know  where  we  are  now!" 

John  Peters  drew  him  a  little  to  one  side.  "My  dear 
uncle,"  he  said,  "the  whole  thing  was  rather  a  bluff. 
We  had  a  hundred  picked  men,  with  Maxims,  quartered  in 
the  palace,  in  case  anything  of  this  sort  should  happen. 
We  can  rely  upon  them,  it  is  true.  What  an  entire  regi- 
ment would  have  done  we  cannot  say." 

"But  the  whole  square  is  full  of  troops,"  the  king  said. 

"Exactly,  but  they  arrived  after  the  affair  was  over," 
John  Peters  said  dryly.  "Ah!  there  is  a  young  lady  with 
whom  I  must  speak.  Excuse  me,  sir." 

Grace  was  standing  alone  by  a  pillar  —  her  eyes  had 
called  him.  She  was  pale,  and  her  manner  was  almost 
nervous.  He  stood  by  her  side  in  silence.  She  felt  the 
question  that  his  lips  refused  to  utter. 

" I  could  not  go  without  seeing  you,"  she  said.  "Please 
take  me  for  one  moment  where  we  can  be  alone.  I  am  not 
often  so  foolish,  but  I  have  had  rather  a  shock  to-night." 

He  took  her  into  the  little  annex  to  the  supper-room. 
"Well  ?"  he  asked,  and  his  voice  seemed  to  have  gathered 
a  new  note  of  sternness. 

"You  can't  believe  that  I  had  anything  to  do  with  it?" 
she  exclaimed.  "Oh,  you  can't!" 

"I  am  glad,"  he  answered.  "I  must  confess  that  I 
was  anxious  to  be  assured." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  177 

"I  came  with  a  message  for  the  leader  of  the  Republican 
party  here,"  she  said,  "but  he  never  came  to  see  me. 
My  friends  —  no,  those  whom  I  used  to  call  my  friends 
—  would  have  helped  in  any  rising  here  by  money  or  even 
worse  means,  but  they  are  not  anarchists.  They  would 
have  had  nothing  to  do  with  bombs." 

"I  am  glad,  dear,"  he  said.  "For  a  moment  I  was 
afraid.  We  have  had  no  bomb-throwing  in  Varia  up  to 
now." 

"You  believe  me?" 

"Absolutely,"  he  answered,  "but  I  would  like  to  see  you 
free  from  this  sort  of  thing.  Why  did  you  ever  lend  your- 
self to  it?" 

"Will  you  come  and  see  me  to-morrow?"  she  asked. 
"I  should  like  to  tell  you." 

"At  the  Hotel  Bergman  ?"  he  asked. 

"No,  at  Madame  cle  Sayers',"  she  answered.  "I  went 
to  the  Bergman  only  to  meet  some  one  who  did  not  come." 

He  took  her  back  to  her  aunt.  The  guests  were  all 
departing  now.  Screens  had  been  raised,  and  except  for 
the  hammering  of  workmen,  no  sign  of  any  untoward  event 
remained.  Yet  there  were  very  few  among  those  who 
made  their  final  bow  to  royalty  who  did  not  wonder  whether 
ever  again  the  palace  of  the  king  would  be  open  to  receive 
his  guests. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

HIS  Majesty  the  King  of  Bergeland  on  the  following 
morning  was  in  an  excellent  humour.  He  threw 
a  little  bundle  of  newspapers  upon  the  table  at  which  three 
men  were  standing  —  John  Peters,  General  Grobener,  and 
Baron  Bernhardt. 

"There!"  he  said,  "I  have  read  them  all.  You,  too, 
perhaps.  The  Star,  even,  the  most  disloyal  paper  pub- 
lished, denounces  last  night's  outrage  as  atrocious.  They 
are  all  in  the  same  strain.  I  shall  believe  no  more  in  the 
disloyalty  of  my  people,  any  more  than  I  shall  believe  in  the 
disaffection  of  my  army." 

John  Peters,  who,  with  the  others,  had  risen  respectfully 
at  the  king's  entrance,  shrugged  his  shoulders  slightly. 
"Sir,"  he  said,  "the  papers  of  the  country  could  do  no 
more  nor  any  less  than  they  have  done.  I  believe  that 
last  night's  affair  was  an  altogether  unauthorized  plot 
on  the  part  of  the  extreme  section.  Thanks  to  favouring 
circumstances,  it  failed.  But " 

"The  favouring  circumstances  being  your  Highness's 
own  courage  and  presence  of  mind,"  Bernhardt  said,  with 
a  rare  note  of  enthusiasm  in  his  tone.  "We  others  were 

178 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  179 

impotent.  It  was  you  who  saved  the  palace,  who  saved 
the  city,  perhaps,  from  the  most  disgraceful  scene  in 
modern  history." 

John  Peters  looked  a  little  annoyed.  "Let  that  go,"  he 
answered  impatiently.  "What  I  was  going  to  say  was, 
that  if  by  chance  that  attack  had  succeeded,  it  might 
very  soon  have  been  changed  from  an  unauthorized 
into  an  authorized  one.  We  know,  Bernhardt  and  I 
know,  that  behind  this  rabble  stands  a  great  united 
party,  whose  firm  resolve  is  to  pull  down  the  throne 
of  Bergeland." 

"And  how  the  devil  do  you  pretend  to  know  anything 
about  it,  sir,"  the  king  asked,  turning  upon  him  passion- 
ately, "you,  whose  dissipations  and  excesses  and  evil 
character  have  done  more  than  anything  else  in  the  world 
to  set  the  people  against  my  house  ?  How  the  devil  can 
you  pretend  to  be  a  judge  of  the  political  sentiment  of  the 
country?" 

"I  may  be  all  that  you  say,"  John  Peters  answered 
calmly,  "but  I  am  not  a  fool,  and  I  don't  bury  my  head 
in  the  sand  when  there  is  trouble  about.  I  know  that  when 
Parliament  meets  in  a  fortnight's  time,  with  a  huge 
Republican  majority,  they  're  not  going  to  vote  us  money 
to  support  a  monarchy.  We  shall  be  lucky  if  we  get  our 
railway  tickets  to  the  frontier." 

"The    monarchy,"    King    Ferdinand    answered,    "is 


180  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

established  by  constitutional  law,  and  nothing  short  of 
a  revolution  can  upset  that." 

"A  revolution  is  exactly  what  we  have  to  fear,"  Bern- 
hardt  declared.  "I  am  bound  to  tell  your  Majesty  that 
we  have  some  very  serious  information." 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  the  king  asked  sharply. 

"There  is  in  existence,"  Bernhardt  continued,  "the 
complete  draft  for  a  constitutional  republic,  with  every 
office  filled,  and  every  arrangement  made.  It  will 
be  placed  upon  the  table,  and  carried  into  effect,  within 
five  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  the  new  Parlia- 
ment, and  whether  it  be  according  to  law  or  not, 
your  Majesty's  reign  will  have  ceased  in  the  eyes  of 
the  people." 

"Whose  work  is  this?"  the  king  demanded,  with  a 
dangerous  glitter  in  his  eyes. 

"It  is  the  work  of  one  man,  your  Majesty,  working 
through  the  sub-committee  of  the  Republican  party. 
It  is  the  man  whom  they  call  the  First  Watcher." 

The  king's  face  was  not  pleasant  to  look  upon.  He  was 
almost  livid  with  rage.  "To-day,"  he  declared,  striking 
the  table  with  his  clenched  fist,  "  that  man  is  a  traitor.  If 
he  could  be  arrested  he  could  be  dealt  with  in  a  few  hours. 
And  he  snaps  his  fingers  at  us!  It  is  you,  Bernhardt,  who 
are  responsible.  You  are  head  of  the  government  police; 
you  have  unlimited  powers.  You  come  and  tell  me  stories 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  181 

of  this  man,  and  when  I  ask  you  why  he  is  not  arrested, 
you  shrug  your  shoulders,  you  have  hopes  —  it  will  come 
soon!  And  now  the  end  is  at  hand,  and  the  man  is  still 
unsuspected." 

"Not  unsuspected,  your  Majesty,"  Bernhardt  answered 
gravely. 

"Then  for  heaven's  sake  arrest  him  on  suspicion,"  the 
king  declared  angrily.  "Do  something  to  show  that  you 
and  your  police  are  not  dummies." 

Bernhardt  bowed  submissively.  "Your  Majesty,"  he 
said,  "I  doubt  whether  we  could  hold  him  if  we  attempted 
an  arrest,  but  we  will  risk  it.  One  last  effort  shall  be  made 
before  Parliament  assembles.  I  promise  that." 

John  Peters  looked  up  from  the  table,  where  he  had  been 
drawing  idle  figures  with  his  pencil.  "After  all,"  he 
said,  "even  if  our  friend  Bernhardt  succeeds  in  arresting 
the  man  it  seems  to  me  that  his  work  is  finished.  We  stop 
nothing  by  his  arrest.  In  fourteen  days  the  Republic  of 
Bergeland  is  to  be  pronounced." 

"We  will  see  about  that,"  the  king  declared.  "I  shall 
open  Parliament  myself,  and  the  whole  army  of  the  country 
will  be  assembled  in  Parliament  Square.  If  they  can  play 
bold  strokes,  so  can  we.  We  '11  march  troops  in,  arrest 
every  one  who  speaks  of  that  charter  as  traitors,  dissolve 
Parliament,  and  have  a  fresh  election." 

"Unfortunately,"  Bernhardt  remarked  quietly,  "there 


182  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EAKTH 

will  be  half  a  million  Bergians  gathered  together,  in  and 

around  the  city,  to  support  the  new  Parliament." 

The  king  turned  an  angry  face  upon  the  speaker. 
"Well,"  he  said,  "what  is  it  that  you  others  propose, 
then  ?  You  find  fault  enough  with  my  suggestions.  Let 
us  hear  yours!" 

Grobener  raised  his  hand.  "I  am  with  his  Majesty," 
he  declared.  "I  say  that  all  this  talk  of  a  republic  is 
rank  treason,  and  the  army  stands  pledged  to  support  the 
throne." 

"You  hear,  gentlemen?"  the  king  declared. 

Bernhardt  looked  across  at  the  general.  "General," 
he  said,  "at  the  first  sound  of  disturbance  last  night  I 
myself  telephoned  to  the  barracks  for  two  regiments  of 
soldiers." 

"They  were  on  their  way  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,"  the  general  answered. 

"Two  regiments  should  mean  a  thousand  men,"  Bern- 
hardt remarked.  "How  many  left  barracks?" 

"I  have  no  idea,"  the  general  answered  hotly;  "nor  is 
it  your  business.  The  roll  was  called  hastily.  Some  were 
out  on  leave." 

"  Not  one-quarter  of  the  two  regiments,  General," 
Bernhardt  said  quietly.  "  Two  hundred  and  twenty  men 
left  the  barracks.  No  more." 

"  I  dispute  your  statement,  sir,"  the  general  exclaimed. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  183 

"As you  will,  General,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "only,  my 
facts  are  correct,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  wilfully,  or  because 
you  are  yourself  deceived,  you  are  misleading  his  Majesty 
as  to  the  complete  loyalty  of  the  army." 

"  His  Majesty  will  accept  the  word  of  a  soldier  about  his 
men  before  that  of  a  policeman,"  the  general  sneered.  "I 
repeat  to  his  Majesty  that  my  honour  is  pledged  to  defend 
his  person  and  the  country  with  the  army  I  have  the 
privilege  to  command." 

"You  hear,  sir!"  the  king  thundered. 

"There  were  only  two  hundred  and  twenty  men," 
Bernhardt  murmured. 

"Enough  for  the  purpose,  at  any  rate,"  the  king 
answered.  "The  mob  melted  away  before  the  very  rattle 
of  their  drums." 

"They  melted  away  because  they  were  a  mob,  unarmed 
and  undisciplined,"  John  Peters  said;  "besides,  their 
leader  was  dead.  It  will  be  a  very  different  crowd  we  shall 
have  to  deal  with  a  little  later  on." 

"I  wait  still,"  the  king  said,  "for  your  proposals." 

"1  think,"  John  Peters  said,  "that  you  know  my  mind. 
I  think  that  the  country  has  had  enough  of  us,  and  I  think 
that  the  country  is  right.  Your  Majesty  permits  me  to 
speak  with  perfect  frankness?" 

"Go  on,  sir,"  the  king  answered. 

"Your  Majesty  has  ruled  over  Bergeland   for  twenty 


184  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

years,  and  the  country  has  paid  pretty  dearly  for  the  luxury. 
You  have  amassed  an  immense  fortune  by  private  means, 
means  which  have  become  the  scandal  of  all  Europe,  but 
nevertheless  you  have  demanded  your  uttermost  pound  of 
flesh  from  the  taxpayers  of  the  country,  even  in  times  of 
dire  distress.  Your  charities  have  been  nil,  your  private 
life  a  scandal.  You  have  set  the  country  an  example  upon 
the  plage  at  Misten,  the  cafe's  of  Paris,  and  the  pleasure- 
resorts  of  Vienna,  which  the  more  respectable  portion  of 
it  is  never  likely  to  forget.  Your  name  is  associated 
with  no  single  work  undertaken  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  country.  A  man's  private  life  is  his  own, 
a  king's  is  his  own  only  so  long  as  he  conceals,  or  at- 
tempts to  conceal,  its  unsavoury  parts.  You  have  done 
neither.  Therefore  the  people  hate  you,  and  my  earnest 
advice  is  that,  when  Parliament  meets  and  proclaims  its 
Republic,  we  make  the  best  of  a  bad  matter  and  accept 
its  decision." 

The  king  was  almost  speechless,  but  his  lips  had  parted 
a  little,  so  that  his  teeth  showed  like  a  wolf's  fangs.  "  You 
propose,  then,"  he  whispered  hoarsely  across  the  table, 
"that  we  abdicate  without  a  single  blow,  when  we  have 
the  army,  and  if  necessary  the  whole  of  the  German 
army,  behind  us?" 

"I  do,"  John  Peters  answered,  "because  the  end  would 
be  the  same.  If  we  incite  the  people  to  bloodshed,  we 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  185 

shall  pay  for  it  with  our  lives.  If  we  call  in  mercenaries, 
we  shall  be,  beyond  a  shadow  of  doubt,  assassinated. 
Why  not  make  the  most  of  our  lives  ?  You  are  fabulously 
rich;  I  can  find  enough  to  live  on.  We  both  have  some 
idea,  I  think,  how  to  amuse  ourselves.  We  shall  have 
to  go  some  day.  Let  us  go  gracefully." 

"You  are  a  coward,  nephew  I"  the  king  thundered. 

"No,  I  think  not,"  John  Peters  answered  calmly.  "It 
is  n't  that.  I  have  common  sense  and  a  smattering  of 
philosophy." 

The  king  rose.  Anger  seemed  to  have  given  him 
strength,  for  he  leaned  no  more  upon  his  stick.  He  pointed 
a  threatening  finger  at  his  nephew.  "You,"  he  cried, 
"have  dared  to  sit  there  and  reproach  me  with  my  private 
life  —  you,  the  most  dissolute  young  vagabond  who  ever 
bore  our  name.  Do  you  need  to  be  reminded  of  the  shame- 
ful things  you  have  done  ?  Within  a  stone's  throw  of  the 
palace  gates  your  photograph  can  be  bought,  sitting  as 
host  of  a  most  disgraceful  supper  party  —  buy  it  and  look 
at  your  picture!  You,  who  have  suffered  yourself  to  be 
seen  with  the  creatures  of  the  Boulevards,  even  in  your  own 
capital,  at  public  supping  places,  a  haunter  of  low  cafe's, 
a  devotee  of  all  the  vices  which  ever  came  from  hell! 
Damn  you,  sir,  it  is  you  and  nobody  else  who  has  brought 
this  trouble  upon  us." 

There  was  a  silence.     The  king  resumed  his  chair, 


186  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

breathing  heavily.     John  Peters  made  no  sign,  but  after 

several  moments  he  raised  his  head. 

"To  revert  to  the  subject  of  our  discussion,  sir,"  he 
said,  "must  we  take  it  for  granted  that  you  will  refuse  in 
any  case  to  abdicate?" 

"Absolutely,  finally,"  the  king  declared.  "The  mob 
can  do  its  worst  I  am  here,  and  I  stay." 


"  Is  that  the  way,"  she  asked,  with  a  shy  little  laugh,  "  that  engaged 
people  kiss  in  Varia  ?  "  [_Pcye  187 


CHAPTER  XXII 

GRACE  was  alone  when  John  Peters  was  shown  into 
the  room.  He  bent  over  her  hands  and  kissed  them. 

"Is  that  the  way,"  she  asked,  with  a  shy  little  laugh, 
"that  engaged  people  kiss  in  Varia?" 

He  laughed  and  took  her  in  his  arms.  Presently  they 
sat  down  upon  a  sofa. 

"Let  me  tell  you,"  she  begged,  "how  I  came  to  be  mixed 
up  with  those  silly  people." 

"Be  quick  about  it,"  he  said.  "I  've  more  interesting 
things  to  talk  about." 

"What  are  they?"  she  asked. 

"Ourselves.     Your  turn  first.     Go  on." 

"After  all,  there  isn't  much  to  tell,"  she  said.  "You 
know  I  was  a  Wellesley  girl,  and  I  took  honours  in  social 
science.  I  had  what  they  called  advanced  ideas.  I 
belonged  to  the  school  whose  central  belief  is  that  every 
nation,  and  every  unit  of  a  nation,  has  a  complete  and 
incontrovertible  right  to  preserve  intact  and  develop  its  own 
individuality.  I  remember  that  I  once  went  to  a  course  of 
lectures  of  which  the  ill-government  of  your  nation  formed 
the  text." 

187 


188  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"My  uncle  has  had  a  pretty  good  innings,"  he  admitted 
"Go  on." 

"Well,  I  came  to  Europe,  and  I  had  cards  to  a  good 
many  people  in  England.  I  can't  mention  names  —  you 
won't  expect  that,  but  one  day  I  was  asked  whether  I  was 
not  willing  to  give  some  practical  effect  to  my  beliefs.  I 
replied  that  there  was  nothing  I  should  like  better.  Then 
I  was  told  that  in  every  capital  of  Europe  there  were 
branches  of  a  society,  harmless  in  itself,  but  always  seeking 
for  opportunities  to  remove  from  positions  of  authority 
people  who  impeded  the  cause  of  the  people.  The  very 
name  of  the  head  of  the  English  branch  gave  me  the 
requisite  amount  of  confidence.  He  was  a  great  million- 
aire and  shopkeeper,  a  radical,  and  a  man  of  advanced 
views,  but  also  a  man  of  unblemished  character.  I  said  I 
would  do  what  I  could,  and  I  heard  no  more  about  it  for 
some  time.  Then  you  came,  and  I  learned  who  you  were. 
That  old  man  came  to  me  and  suggested  —  don't  laugh,  he 
was  perfectly  serious  —  that  I  should  play  the  deliverer.  I 
pointed  out  that  my  hatred  of  tyranny  was  also  coupled 
with  certain  distinct  convictions  as  to  the  sanctity  of  human 
life.  He  seemed  disappointed,  but  he  took  my  secrecy  as  a 
matter  of  course.  Then  he  came  to  me  again.  He  asked 
me  whether  you  were  going  to  see  me  on  the  following  night. 
I  hesitated,  and  of  course  he  knew.  Then  he  said  that  he 
asked  me  no  more  than  this  —  that  I  keep  you  with  me  and 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  189 

allow  you  to  depart  at  a  certain  time.  The  rest  I  was  to 
know  nothing  about.  As  a  matter  of  fact  you  were  com- 
ing, and  I  told  him  so.  I  sent  you  away  at  half-past  one, 
exactly  at  the  time  he  told  me,  but  it  was  because  my 
clock  had  stopped." 

"As  a  matter  of  curiosity,"  John  Peters  asked,  "suppos- 
ing you  had  known  of  that  little  arrangement  outside, 
would  you  have  warned  me?" 

"Don't  ask  me,"  she  begged.  "Remember  that  I 
knew  so  little  about  you.  You  represented  to  me  and  to 
all  my  friends  the  one  human  type  whose  presence  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth  is  a  real  and  effective  bar  to  prog- 
ress. You  were  the  enemy  of  the  people.  That  was 
what  I  had  to  think  of.  If  it  had  been  a  question  of 
imprisonment,  of  keeping  you  away  from  the  position  you 
had  no  right  to  occupy,  well,  then,  I  do  believe  that  I 
should  have  given  you  up.  But  a  blow  in  the  dark,  like 
that  —  I  don't  think  I  could  have  done  it,  dear,  even  if  I 
had  believed  it  justified.' 

"  And  your  presence  here  now,  Grace  ?     What  of  that  ?  " 

"Well,  it  was  certain  that  things  were  going  to  happen 
here,  and  I  can  speak  the  language.  I  am  really  here  as 
a  sort  of  correspondent.  I  was  to  have  seen  your  mysteri- 
ous enemy  and  offered  him  help  if  it  was  necessary. 
Curiously  enough,  he  has  never  even  approached  me." 

"Yours  seems  a  very  slack  sort  of  society,"  he  remarked. 


ISO  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Why,  I  could  have  gone  to  Scotland  Yard  and  sworn 

information  against  the  four  of  you." 

She  shook  her  head.  "They  are  not  so  foolish  as  they 
seem,"  she  declared.  "It  is  part  of  their  policy  to  seem 
to  dispense  with  secrecy  altogether,  but  if  anything  serious 
is  really  attempted  they  have  most  elaborate  safeguards. 
Those  men  would  all  have  been  able  to  prove  most  con- 
vincingly that  they  were  somewhere  else  if  you  had  made 
any  attempt  to  turn  the  tables  on  them." 

He  leaned  over  and  took  her  hand.  "Little  woman," 
he  said,  "let  this  end  your  career  as  a  conspirator.  You  '11 
only  get  into  trouble,  and  I  Ve  enough  to  think  about  just 
now  without  worrying  about  you.  Promise!" 

She  assented  laughingly.  "I  don't  think  I  should  ever 
do  anything  brilliant,"  she  declared.  "Tell  me,  is  the 
city  quiet  this  morning?" 

"Quiet  enough,"  he  answered,  "for  a  few  days.  After 
Parliament  opens  the  end  is  certain.  I  am  afraid  after  all, 
though,  that  it  will  not  be  quite  so  simple  a  matter  as  I 
had  hoped." 

"In  what  way?"  she  asked  quickly. 

"None  of  us,"  he  answered,  "can  make  my  uncle  see 
reason.  He  declares  that  he  will  stay  and  fight;  he  places 
altogether  too  much  confidence  in  the  army.  Worse  than 
that,  if  things  go  wrong  he  is  scheming  for  German  aid." 

"You  have  talked  to  him?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  191 

"  Till  I  am  weary.  So  have  we  all.  The  only  chance  is 
that  he  will  get  such  a  scare  when  the  time  comes  that  he  '11 
change  his  mind.  At  present  he  refuses  to  abdicate." 

"If  you  call  Germany  in,"  she  said,  "Bergeland  will 
never  be  a  free  country  all  her  days." 

"If  Germany  moves,"  he  answered,  "the  republic 
will  appeal  at  once  to  France  and  England." 

She  smiled,  as  though  amused  at  her  thoughts.  "One 
would  think,"  she  remarked,  "that  you  were  one  of  the 
Republicans  yourself." 

"Perhaps,"  he  said,  smiling,  "I  shall  not  be  sorry  to  bid 
good-bye  to  royalty.  You  are  a  brave  woman,  Grace, 
to  take  me  so  much  on  trust.  I  Ve  the  most  horrible 
reputation  in  Europe." 

She  half  closed  her  eyes  with  a  little  shiver.  "John, 
dear,"  she  said,  "when  I  feel  unhappy  about  that  I  shall 
always  think  of  last  night.  I  do  not  believe  that  brave 
men  can  ever  be  really  vicious.  But  remember,  you  've 
promised  to  improve." 

"I'll  try,"  he  declared.  "Good-bye,  dear!  May  I 
come  to-morrow?" 

She  walked  with  him  to  the  door,  and  watched  him  leave 
the  house  and  turn  into  the  park.  He  walked  slowly,  with 
his  hands  behind  him  and  his  eyes  upon  the  ground. 
There  were  few  people  about,  and  the  broad  walks  were 
almost  deserted.  Perhaps  for  that  reason  John  Peters 


192  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

noticed  the  swift,  stealthy  footsteps  behind  him,  and 
turned  round  —  just  in  time.  The  man  who  had  been 
following  him  was  holding  out  a  revolver  at  arm's  length, 
and  seemed  to  be  in  the  very  act  of  pulling  the  trigger. 

John  Peters  sprang  a  little  to  one  side,  but  the  man, 
although  he  kept  him  covered,  did  not  attempt  to  fire. 
He  seemed  to  be  a  workman  of  somewhat  superior  class, 
but  his  clothes  were  torn,  and  he  had  several  wounds  upon 
his  face,  as  though  he  had  been  recently  engaged  in  some 
struggle.  John  Peters  put  out  his  hand  in  a  gesture  of 
command. 

"Put  that  thing  away,"  he  ordered.  "What  do  you 
want  with  me?" 

Not  a  muscle  of  the  man's  face  moved.  He  lowered  the 
revolver  slightly,  but  he  still  held  it  in  his  locked  fingers. 
"What  I  want  from  you,"  he  said,  "is  payment  of  a  just 
debt.  I  want  what  I  came  last  night  to  the  palace  to 
claim,  but  those  who  were  with  me  were  cowards,  and  they 
ran.  I  have  waited  long  enough,  so  I  have  come  alone. 
It  is  your  life  I  am  going  to  take." 

John  Peters  looked  rapidly  round.  Brave  man  though 
he  was,  he  had  not  the  least  intention  of  losing  his  life  at 
the  hands  of  a  lunatic  in  so  purposeless  a  manner  as  this. 
There  was  not  a  soul  in  sight,  however,  nor  could  he  at 
once  think  of  any  ready  means  of  escape.  He  turned 
back  to  the  man. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  193 

"Well,"  he  said,  "if  I  have  to  die  I  can,  but  I  should 
like  to  know  what  I  have  done  to  you  to  deserve  it" 

The  man,  whose  continued  calmness  was  almost 
unnatural,  moistened  his  lips  with  the  end  of  his  tongue. 
"I  am  the  father,"  he  said,  "of  Estelle  Borgin." 

"Then,  Mr.  Borgin,"  John  Peters  said,  "I  am  very 
glad  to  know  you,  and  also  to  know  that  you  have  a 
daughter,  but  as  I  have  never  seen  either  of  you  before  in 
my  life  I  am  still  at  a  loss  to  know  why  you  should  think  of 
murdering  me." 

"You  are  a  liar! "  the  man  said.  "  Me  you  may  not  have 
seen  or  remembered,  but  Estelle  —  you  took  her  away,  and 
now  her  mother  is  gone.  There  is  nothing  left  for  me  but 
vengeance,  and  that  I  mean  to  have." 

John  Peters  faced  the  man  squarely.  "Look  at  me," 
he  said.  "  Do  you  believe  that  I  am  the  person  who  took 
your  daughter  away?" 

The  man  moved  his  feet  uneasily.  "You  are  the 
Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland,"  he  said.  "There  are  many 
others  in  Varia  besides  my  daughter  who  have  reasons  to> 
hate  that  name." 

"Look  at  me  again,"  John  Peters  said.  "Do  you 
believe  that  it  was  I  who  took  away  your  daughter?" 

The  man  raised  his  revolver.  "I  do,"  he  answered,, 
"and  you  are  going  to  die  for  it." 

Then  John  Peters  realized  that  there  was  nothing  to  be 


194  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

gained  by  further  temporizing.  He  was  holding  in  his 
hand  a  silver-headed  cane,  and,  leaping  suddenly  to  one 
side,  he  struck  at  the  revolver.  The  first  bullet  just 
touched  his  ear.  The  second  went  into  the  air  as  the 
revolver  flew  out  of  the  man's  hand,  and  the  man  himself 
was  lifted  off  his  feet  in  an  iron  grasp. 

"You  infernal  assassin!"  John  Peters  said  to  him 
angrily.  "I  've  a  good  mind  to  shake  the  life  out  of  you." 

He  stooped  down,  and  with  his  left  hand  picked  up  the 
revolver  and  threw  it  into  a  distant  pond. 

"Now  listen  to  me,  Borgin,  or  whatever  your  name  is," 
he  said.  "To  the  best  of  my  knowledge  I  never  saw  your 
daughter  in  my  life.  You  have  been  deceived.  Can  you 
understand  that?" 

"Yes,"  the  man  answered  sullenly,  "I  can  understand 
what  you  say." 

"Do  you  believe  it?"  John  Peters  asked. 

"No!"  the  man  answered.  "They  all  told  me  that 
it  was  the  crown  prince,  even  she  herself.  My  wife 
saw  her  driving  with  you.  One  does  n't  make  such 
mistakes." 

John  Peters  shook  him  again  gently.  "  I  wish,"  he  said, 
"that  I  could  shake  some  sense  into  your  head.  Now, 
on  my  honour,  I  tell  you  that  I  never  saw  your  daughter 
in  my  life.  Are  you  satisfied?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  the  man  answered,  bewildered. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  195 

Two  figures  came  in  sight  round  a  bend  of  the  walk. 
John  Peters,  looking  up,  saw  them;  so  did  his  captive. 

"Here  come  the  park-keepers  at  last,"  John  Peters  said. 
"Now  look  here,  my  man,  will  you  believe  me  or  won't 
you?" 

"I  will  try,"  the  man  said  in  a  low  tone,  "but  they  all 
told  me  that  it  was  the  crown  prince." 

John  Peters  let  him  go.  "  Get  that  idea  out  of  your 
head,  my  friend,"  he  said.  "Go  back  to  your  work,  and 
you  may  find  that  there  are  better  times  coming  for  you  all 
in  Varia;  but  if  I  catch  you  dogging  my  footsteps  again  it 
will  not  go  quite  so  easily  with  you." 

The  man  stood  where  John  Peters  left  him,  looking  after 
the  tall,  powerful  figure,  and  muttering  softly  to  himself. 
As  the  park-keepers  came  nearer,  he  turned  into  a  byway 
and  disappeared.  John  Peters,  taking  a  short  cut,  entered 
the  palace  grounds  by  a  private  gate. 

"I  suppose,"  he  said  to  himself  grimly,  "that  this  is  one 
of  the  penalties  of  the  game,  but  I  am  inclined  to  agree  with 
Bernhardt  after  all.  I  don't  think  they  '11  ever  let  me  out 
of  this  city  alive." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

AT  NINE  o'clock  that  same  evening  three  men,  the 
professor,  Levitt,  and  Grammont,  were  sitting  at  the 
end  of  a  long  table  in  the  dimly  lighted  room  of  a  well- 
known  restaurant.  They  were  talking  together  in  whispers 
and  evidently  waiting  for  some  one  else. 

"We  know  who's  responsible,  of  course,"  Levitt  was 
saying,  his  dark  eyes  flashing,  and  his  white  hands  drum- 
ming upon  the  table.  "It  was  Hergmann's  work  without 
a  doubt.  He  's  always  been  mad  that  we  have  had  nothing 
to  do  with  him  and  his  butchering  methods.  And  after 
all,  if  he  'd  succeeded,  well,  it  might  have  hurried 
things  on." 

"I,"  the  professor  said,  "am  now  wholly  with  our  chief. 
I  believe  in  pacific  methods.  I  believe  that  our  present 
scheme  is  unassailable." 

"And  I,"  Levitt  said,  leaning  forward  so  that  the  light 
fell  upon  his  dark,  strongly  marked  face,  "  I  tell  you  once 
and  for  all  that  I  have  no  faith  in  bloodless  revolutions. 
If  the  king  is  coward  enough  to  fly,  let  him  go,  but  the 
crown  prince  has  deserved  death  fifty  times  over,  and  I 
think  that  he  will  find  it  when  the  time  comes." 

196 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  197 

"We  must  talk  a  little  about  that,  gentlemen,"  a  voice 
said  from  the  shadows. 

They  all  rose  to  their  feet.  Their  unknown  chief  had 
entered  silently  from  the  other  end  of  the  room.  He 
seated  himself  a  few  feet  away  from  them  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  where  the  shadows  were  deepest.  Again  he  wore 
the  black  silk  mask  which  completely  concealed  his  face. 
Again  they  all  looked  at  him  with  that  curiosity  against 
which  they  were  always  struggling  as  disloyal,  but  which 
during  the  last  few  weeks  had  become  almost  a  passion. 

"I  was  in  time,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "to  hear  your 
last  remarks.  I  also  gathered,  I  think  from  Mr.  Levitt, 
that  he  has  no  faith  in  bloodless  revolutions.  This  one, 
I  want  to  impress  upon  you,  is  going  to  be  a  bloodless 
revolution." 

"We  hope  so,"  the  professor  said,  "but  after  all  it  will 
be  as  the  people  shall  decide,  for  it  will  be  their  day." 

"I  have  summoned  you  here,"  the  man  at  the  head  of  the 
table  said,  "because  of  the  events  of  last  night.  I  want  to 
know  whether  you,  or  any  one  of  you,  or  any  one  of  our 
sub-committee,  or  any  one  known  to  you,  was  responsible 
for  throwing  that  bomb  into  the  palace." 

"The  answer  to  all  those  questions,"  Grammont 
answered,  "is  no.  At  the  same  time  it  is  idle  to  deceive 
ourselves.  There  are  a  great  many  among  us  who  are  call- 
ing for  vigorous  measures,  who  do  not  believe  that  the 


198  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

country  can  be  set  free  without  the  striking  of  one  great 
blow.  It  was  some  of  these,  no  doubt,  who  were  con- 
cerned in  the  attempt  last  night,  which  ended  so 
disastrously." 

The  man  at  the  head  of  the  table  leaned  a  little  toward 
them.  He  spoke  slowly  and  very  impressively.  Every 
word  seemed  suggestive  of  power.  Once  more  they  felt 
themselves  in  the  presence  of  a  man  who  dominated  them 
with  ease  whenever  he  chose. 

"Listen,"  he  said,  "you,  Grammont,  and  you,  Professor, 
and  you,  Levitt.  Twelve  months  ago  I  was  unknown  to 
you  or  any  of  your  party.  Then  I  began  to  write  you 
letters,  to  which  you  were  pleased  to  attach  some  impor- 
tance. I  began  to  draw  up  and  send  for  your  consideration 
schemes  which  you  found  good.  I  told  you  things  in 
international  history  which  were  coming  to  pass,  and  I 
showed  you  how  to  strengthen  the  ranks  of  your  party,  and 
to  gain  power  and  standing.  You  have  progressed  enor- 
mously, and  many  of  you  were  pleased  to  consider  that 
it  was  due  to  my  advice  and  to  my  leadership,  if  you  choose 
to  call  it  so.  Then  came  the  suggestion  from  you  that  we 
should  meet.  I  told  you  then  that  it  did  not  suit  my 
purpose  to  be  known  in  Varia  as  a  Republican.  I  would 
meet  you,  I  said,  on  my  own  terms,  and  they  were  these." 
He  touched  his  mask  and  waved  his  hand  around  the 
room.  "  We  meet  in  secret,  and  so  far  as  I  know  you  are  in 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  199 

ignorance  as  to  whom  I  may  be.  Now  I  ask  you  this 
question  as  men  of  honour,  and  I  beg  that  you  will  each 
answer  me  separately.  Grammont,  Professor,  Levitt,  you 
have  spent  many  hours  with  me,  do  you  know  who  I  am  ? 
Are  you  conscious  of  ever  having  seen  or  spoken  with  me 
anywhere  save  at  our  meeting  places  ? " 

Their  noes  were  unanimous.  The  man  at  the  head 
of  the  table  inclined  his  head  gravely. 

"Very  well,  then,"  he  said,  "I  will  tell  you  what  it  is 
that  I  propose.  You  hold  the  first  of  your  four  great 
meetings  to-morrow  night.  You  already  have  my  plan  of 
the  proceedings,  and  I  have  shown  you  how  to  prevent 
any  interference  from  the  police.  I  wish  to  come  to  that 
meeting." 

Levitt  sprang  up  with  a  little  cry  of  excitement.  "At 
last,  then,"  he  exclaimed,  "you  are  going  to  declare 
yourself!" 

"I  do  not  intend  to  do  so,"  was  the  quiet  answer.  "I 
am  going  to  take  a  somewhat  extraordinary  course,  but  I 
believe  that  it  can  be  done,  and  I  am  willing  to  take  the 
risks.  I  wish  to  speak  to  the  whole  committee  of  your  party 
together,  but  I  still  wish  to  remain,  as  now,  unknown.  The 
meeting  is  in  the  museum  lecture-hall,  at  the  corner  of  the 
Boulevard  du  Pont.  I  have  been  over  the  room  carefully, 
and  I  have  convinced  myself  that  what  I  suggest  is  possible. 
It  has  already  been  arranged  that  when  every  one  is  present 


200  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

the  door  shall  be  locked.  At  twenty  minutes  to  ten  the 
electric  lights  are  to  be  turned  off,  and  I  shall  enter  by  the 
small  door  at  the  back  of  the  building,  for  which  you  will 
bring  me  a  key.  It  leads  almost  on  to  the  platform,  and  I 
shall  look  to  you  to  see  that  no  one  is  allowed  in  that  pass- 
age. At  a  quarter  to  ten  I  shall  speak  to  the  committee. 

The  three  men  looked  at  him  in  dumb  wonder.  The 
professor  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence. 

"There  will  be  some  risks,"  he  said.  "A  match  may  be 
struck,  for  instance,  or  some  one  may  blunder  against  you 
in  the  dark." 

"There  will  be  some  risks,  of  course,"  the  man  answered, 
"and  I  am  prepared  to  take  them.  All  I  ask  from  you  is 
that  you  do  your  part  in  seeing  that,  so  far  as  possible,  no 
attempt  is  made  to  force  me  to  disclose  myself.  Believe 
me,  it  would  not  be  for  the  good  of  our  cause.  I  have  some 
papers  here  with  reference  to  the  proceedings  between 
now  and  next  Tuesday.  You  had  better  take  them  back 
to  your  sub-committee,  and  if  you  have  any  suggestions  to 
make,  I  will  consider  them.  But  remember  above  all 
things  what  my  aim  has  been  and  is,  with  reference  to  the 
things  that  are  about  to  happen.  This  is  to  be  a  bloodless 
revolution." 

He  rose,  and  the  other  three  followed  his  example. 

"There  is  one  man,  sir,"  Levitt  said,  "whom  I  do  not 
think,  however  anxious  we  may  be  to  avoid  bloodshed, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  201 

will  ever  be  allowed  to  leave  this  country  alive,  if  once  the 
city  is  in  the  hands  of  the  people." 

The  man  at  the  head  of  the  table,  who  was  preparing 
to  depart  by  the  way  he  had  come,  looked  around. 
"Whom  do  you  mean?"  he  asked. 

"I  mean  the  crown  prince,"  Levitt  answered. 

The  man  smiled  beneath  his  mask,  a  smile  of  which  all 
save  himself  were  unconscious.  "So  long  as  the  king  is 
allowed  to  depart  unharmed,"  he  said,  "the  rest  is  not  so 
great  a  matter.  The  crown  prince  is  a  young  man.  He 
can  fight  his  own  battles." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

MADEMOISELLE  is  perhaps  tired,"  Bernhardt 
remarked,  as  he  handed  Grace  to  her  chair. 
"Last  night's  events  at  the  palace  were  somewhat 
fatiguing." 

Grace  shook  her  head  as  she  settled  herself  in  her  seat, 
and  glanced  up  and  down  the  long,  brilliantly  lighted 
table.  "No,"  she  said,  "it  is  not  that.  I  think  that  I 
rather  like  excitement.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  am  a  little 
overpowered.  You  must  remember  that  I  lived  very 
quietly  in  England,  and  I  am  not  used  to  all  this 
splendour." 

Bernhardt,  who  was  rapidly  discovering  that  his  dinner 
companion  was  the  handsomest  woman  in  the  room, 
laughed  as  he  leaned  toward  her  confidentially.  "The 
Germans  have  always  entertained  splendidly  at  the 
embassy  here,"  he  remarked,  "and  this  man,  the  Prince 
de  Suess,  is  an  excellent  host.  But  wait  until  you  have 
seen  a  dinner-party  at  the  palace.  The  gold  plate  there 
is  really  marvellous." 

Grace  looked  at  him  and  looked  away  again.  She 
helped  herself  leisurely  from  the  dish  which  the  footman 

202 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  203 

was  handing  her.  "One  hears  such  strange  things  in 
Varia  just  now,"  she  said.  "I  understood  that  very  soon 
there  would  be  no  more  dinner-parties  at  the  palace." 

Bernhardt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Well,"  he  said, 
"one  cannot  tell.  You  must  not  believe  all  you  hear, 
especially  just  now,  when  there  is  so  much  unsettlement 
in  the  country,  but  I  am  bound  to  say  that  things  do  look 
rather  serious  for  the  loyalists." 

"I  should  like  so  much,"  she  said,  "to  understand  your 
politics." 

"Nothing,"  he  assured  her,  "is  simpler.  We  are  what 
is  called  a  limited  monarchy.  We  have  one  house  of 
assembly,  which,  twenty  years  ago,  did  exactly  what  the 
king  told  it  to  do,  and  voted  exactly  the  measures  which  he 
demanded.  You  know  very  well  what  has  happened  in 
the  last  twenty  years.  In  every  country  it  has  been  the 
same  story.  The  people  have  insisted  upon  having  a  voice 
in  their  own  government.  In  Russia  they  call  themselves 
nihilists.  They  are  simply  the  people  speaking  for  the 
people.  In  Bergeland  they  have  come  on  by  leaps  and 
bounds.  Our  elections  were  a  month  ago,  and  out  of  two 
hundred  members,  one  hundred  and  fifty  Republicans 
were  returned.  Parliament  reassembles  in  a  fortnight's 
time.  What  will  happen  then  is  just  what  is  puzzling 
Europe." 

"What  do  you  think  will  happen  ?"  Grace  asked. 


204  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"My  dear  young  lady,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "I  do  not 
know,  and,  to  be  very  frank  with  you,  if  I  did  I  should  not 
dare  to  say.  If  the  country  is  left  altogether  to  itself, 
one  might  easily  guess,  but  I  fancy  that  our  host  there  is 
anxious  to  have  something  to  say." 

"I  read  the  papers  a  little,"  Grace  said,  "and  they  all 
seem  agreed  upon  one  thing,  that  it  is  the  degeneration  of 
the  present  royal  house  here  which  has  helped  the  Repub- 
lican cause  so  much." 

Bernhardt  looked  around  a  little  cautiously.  "Do  not 
forget,  my  dear  young  lady,"  he  said,  "that  the  crown 
prince  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  table.  Still,  one  must 
admit  that  you  are  right.  All  the  world  knows  of  the  old 
king's  doings,  and  Prince  John  has  certainly  managed  at 
times  to  cap  even  his  uncle's  exploits." 

She  looked  thoughtfully  across  at  the  man  who  sat 
at  the  right  hand  of  their  hostess.  His  head  was  at  that 
moment  bent  courteously  toward  her,  but  the  smile 
upon  his  lips  was  of  the  faintest,  and  his  eyes  seemed  far 
away.  She  touched  Bernhardt  on  the  arm. 

"Look  at  him  now,"  she  whispered.  "Is  that  the  man 
whose  photographs  they  sell  in  the  kiosks,  drinking  wine 
out  of  the  slipper  of  a  dancing  girl,  the  man  whose 
extravagances  were  the  talk  of  Paris  for  weeks  ?  Look  at 
him.  Did  you  ever  see  a  man  whose  face  so  belied  his 
history!" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  205 

Bernhardt  nodded  sympathetically.  The  subject  was 
one  which  for  him,  too,  had  an  absorbing  interest. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  he  said,  "  it  is  amazing.  I  have  known 
the  prince  for  many  years,  and  I  can  come  to  no  other  con- 
clusion than  that  he  has  this  strange  thing  which  psycholo- 
gists call  a  dual  personality.  I  have  seen  him  myself  in  the 
lowest  resorts  of  this  city,  shameless,  drunken,  steeped  in  a 
debauch.  I  have  seen  him  like  this  not  once  nor  twice,  but 
often.  He  has  companions  here,  known  companions, 
whom  I  cannot  name  to  you.  Then  we  saw  him  last  night, 
you  and  I,  alert,  fearless,  a  hero  of  muscle  and  brain, 
the  strong  man  guarding  his  own.  If  you  can  read  me 
the  riddle  of  the  crown  prince,  you  will  stop  the  speculation 
of  years." 

She  was  watching  him  all  the  time  he  spoke.  "You 
have  some  idea  in  your  mind,  have  you  not?"  she  asked 
softly,  "some  possible  explanation?" 

"You  are  observant,"  he  said.  "What  can  one  say? 
One  knows  these  things  of  him.  They  may  be  strange, 
but  they  are  true." 

Some  one  across  the  table  spoke  to  Bernhardt,  and 
Grace  had  leisure  for  a  moment  or  two  to  look  about  her. 
Forty  or  fifty  guests  were  seated  around  the  long  table, 
ablaze  with  flowers  and  wonderfully  arranged  electric 
lights.  It  was  a  dinner-party  which  the  king  himself  was 
to  have  attended,  but  the  events  of  last  night  had  shaken 


206  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

him  so  he  was  unable  to  leave  his  room.  The  crown 
prince,  however,  was  in  his  place,  and  although  they  had 
not  met  in  the  reception-room,  his  eyes  had  met  Grace's 
more  than  once  across  the  table.  Her  host  leaned  forward 
to  speak  to  her. 

"Do  you  make  a  long  stay  in  Varia,  mademoiselle?" 
he  asked. 

"That  depends  very  much  upon  my  aunt,  Prince,"  she 
answered.  "Madame  de  Sayers  usually  goes  south  about 
this  time  of  the  year." 

"  Is  it  your  first  visit?"  he  asked. 

"Indeed,  no!"  she  answered.  "I  am  half  a  Bergian. 
Madame  de  Sayers  and  my  mother  were  sisters." 

"You  should  spend  more  time  here  then,"  he  said 
courteously,  and  turned  toward  one  of  his  other  guests. 

Grace  leaned  back  in  her  chair,  anxious  for  Bernhardt 
to  finish  his  conversation.  Somehow  she  had  an  idea  that 
if  he  would  he  could  tell  her  more  of  her  lover  than  he  had 
done.  He  spoke  to  her  again  in  a  few  minutes. 

"You  are  going  on  to  the  dance  at  the  Russian 
Embassy?"  he  asked. 

She  nodded.     "I  suppose  we  all  are,"  she  answered. 

"Then  may  I  hope  for  the  pleasure,"  he  asked,  "of  at 
least  one  waltz;  that  is  to  say,  if  you  do  not  object  to  danc- 
ing with  any  one  so  ancient?" 

"You  may  take  your  choice,"  she  answered,  smiling, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  207 

"for  you  must  remember  that  I  am  almost  a  stranger  here. 
They  tell  me  that  the  crown  prince  and  you  have  been 
great  friends  during  the  last  few  years." 

"We  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  each  other,"  he  admitted. 

"I  have  heard  it  said,"  she  continued,  in  a  lower  toner 
"that  you  know  more  about  him  than  any  other  man  in 
Bergeland." 

He  turned  and  looked  her  steadily  in  the  face,  and  she- 
realized  at  once  that  whatever  he  might  know  or  suspect 
he  was  not  likely  to  tell  her.  "That  may  be  true,"  he 
said.  "The  prince  has  few  intimates,  even  in  those 
moments  of  his  which  I  suppose  we  should  call  his 
moments  of  pleasure." 

Their  conversation  drifted  to  other  subjects,  and  very- 
soon  the  dinner  came  to  a  close.  The  whole  party  passed 
out  into  the  reception-rooms  together,  some  smoking,  some 
making  their  way  into  the  farther  salon,  where  a  small 
orchestra  was  playing.  Grace  sat  down  in  a  corner  with 
her  aunt,  and  watched  the  people. 

"We  must  stay  for  only  a  few  minutes/'"  Madame  de 
Savers  said.  "It  is  not  expected  of  us,  as  every  one  is 
going  on  to  the  ball,  even  our  host  and  hostess." 

"Five  minutes  longer,"  Grace  begged.  "I  like  to 
watch  the  people."  And  in  less  than  five  minutes  John 
Peters  came  by,  having  made  his  adieu  to  his  hostess.  He 
stopped  and  bowed  low  before  Madame  de  Sayers. 


208  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Shall  I  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  and  your  niece 
later  on  ?"  he  asked.  "I  hope  so." 

Madame  de  Sayers  raised  her  eyebrows.  "As  for  me," 
she  said,  "I  am  old,  and  you  frightened  me  so  last  night 
I  would  rather  go  home  to  bed.  But  what  can  one  do  with 
a  frivolous  niece,  who  comes  to  see  one  so  seldom?" 

He  looked  at  Grace  and  smiled.  "Mademoiselle  will, 
I  hope,  keep  for  me  two  dances  ?  "  he  said  precisely. 

She  looked  down.  " Mademoiselle  will  be  very  pleased," 
she  murmured. 

Then  he  bowed  once  more  and  walked  out,  bidding  good 
nights  right  and  left,  and  showing  no  signs  of  hurry,  yet 
in  his  heart  he  felt  that  he  was  committed  that  night  to 
perhaps  the  most  hazardous  enterprise  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

NO  MORE  curious  scene,  perhaps,  could  possibly 
have  been  imagined.  A  great  room  was  in  dark- 
ness. From  end  to  end  the  place  pulsated  with  excitement, 
audible  in  low,  hoarse  whisperings,  even  in  the  quickly 
drawn  breaths  of  the  row  upon  row  of  waiting  men.  The 
more  highly  strung  and  nervous  were  even  conscious  of 
a  tendency  toward  hysteria. 

Then  a  door  slammed  somewhere  in  the  rear,  footsteps 
were  heard,  and  a  low  murmur  of  expectancy  went  throb- 
bing through  the  crowd.  There  was  some  one  upon  the 
platform.  They  could  see  nothing,  but  they  were  sure  of 
it.  Many  half  rose  in  their  places.  Some  one  tried  a  little 
feeble  applause,  but  it  died  away  at  once.  And  then  a 
voice  came  from  where  the  darkness  was  deepest,  on  the 
left  hand  side  of  the  platform. 

"My  fellow  countrymen,"  it  said,  "I  have  come  at  last 
to  talk  to  you  myself.  Forgive  me  if  I  have  chosen  a 
strange  way  of  doing  so.  Believe  me  when  I  assure"  you 
honestly  that  it  is  best  for  all  of  us  that  you  should  know 
me  at  present  only  by  a  name." 

They    held    their    breaths.     Applause?    They  never 

200 


210  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

thought  of  it.  Welcome  ?  They  were  very  sure  that  he 
did  not  require  it.  They  listened.  That  was  all  that  they 
felt  he  desired. 

"I  have  come  to  you  myself,"  the  voice  continued, 
"because  we  of  Bergeland  are  fast  approaching  the  greatest 
crisis  which  this  country  has  ever  known.  I  have  given 
many  of  the  best  hours  of  my  life  to  the  framing  of  a  con- 
stitution which  should  contain  all  that  was  possible  of  the 
best,  as  little  as  might  be  of  the  purposeless  and  inutile. 
That  constitution  your  committee  has  accepted  in  its 
entirety.  By  organized  and  carefully  arranged  classes, 
by  lectures,  and  by  strict  selection  of  teachers  in  all  the 
schools,  we  have  taught  the  people  of  this  country  the 
beauty  of  self-development,  their  higher  duties  toward  the 
state,  the  magnificent  and  all-conquering  creed  of  a  militant 
and  practical  republicanism.  You  sowed  the  seed,  and 
now,  in  the  result  of  the  elections,  you  have  reaped  the 
harvest.  In  fourteen  days'  time  you  can  give  to  this 
country  legally,  and  in  proper  form,  what  I  believe  to  be 
the  most  perfect  and  truly  republican  government 
possessed  by  any  state  in  the  world." 

The  voice  ceased  for  a  moment.  Something  moved 
across  the  stage.  They  thought  he  had  changed  his 
position,  but  when  he  spoke  again  the  voice  came  from 
the  same  place. 

"Now  I  come,"  the  voice  said,  "to  the  reason  why  I 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  211 

felt  it  imperative  that  I  should  speak  to  you  to-night.  We 
are  on  the  eve  of  the  greatest  change  through  which  a 
nation  can  pass,  and  we  have  an  opportunity  of  making  our 
country  famous  to-day,  and  famous  throughout  the  world's 
history.  There  is  no  need  for  our  streets  to  run  red  with 
blood,  there  is  no  need  for  our  prisons  to  be  full  and  our 
scaffold  a  shambles.  We  can  follow  out  our  destiny,  and 
we  can  obey  at  the  same  time  the  greatest  of  all  human 
laws.  I  know  very  well  that  such  mad  scenes  as  those  of 
last  night,  when  some  maniac  strove  to  wreck  the  palace, 
are  not  to  your  liking,  are  not  in  your  programme.  Say 
to  yourselves  that  they  shall  not  be.  If  one  among  you 
talks  of  assassination  and  all  the  time-worn  impedimenta  of 
anarchy,  convert  him,  or  let  him  go.  For  yourselves, 
remember  that  a  greater  power  than  brute  force  is  yours. 
Make  your  splendid  revolution  the  envy  of  the  world  — 
make  it  as  bloodless  as  it  will  be  historic.  I  have  come  to 
tell  you  this,  that  if  my  advice,  my  leadership,  the  years 
I  have  given  to  your  cause,  have  merited  any  consideration 
whatever  at  your  hands,  let  it  come  to  me  in  this  way,  that 
my  request  to  you  to-night  is  granted;  that,  one  and 
all,  you  discourage  force,  avoid  bloodshed,  forgive  where 
it  is  necessary,  and  forget  where  you  can.  So  shall  you 
build  up  the  great  new  republic  of  our  dear  country 
upon  the  finest  foundation  ever  conceived  in  the  hearts  of 
men." 


212  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  voice  ceased,  and  some  of  them  fancied  that  he  was 
gone.  A  man,  however,  rose  from  the  body  of  the  building 
and  turned  his  face  toward  the  platform. 

"Sir,"  he  said,  "peace  is  a  good  thing  toward  those  who 
come  with  peace  in  their  hands.  But  I  would  ask  you, 
what  about  the  king?" 

All  bent  forward  in  their  places.  Was  he  gone  or  not  ? 
The  voice  answered  them. 

"The  king  is  an  old  man,  and  the  measure  of  his  days 
is  almost  full.  When  he  realizes  this  thing  he  will  go." 

"The  crown  prince,  then  ?  He  is  young  and  headstrong. 
Will  he  so  easily  give  up  a  throne?" 

"He  must  accept  his  banishment,  or  take  the  con- 
sequences," the  voice  answered.  "I  think  that  he,  too, 
will  be  open  to  persuasion.  For  him,  though,  I  hold  no 
brief.  But  I  tell  you  that  to  the  king's  gray  hairs  no 
harm  must  come." 

Then  there  was  a  moment's  silence,  broken  in  a  most 
tempestuous  manner.  From  outside  came  the  sound  of 
fierce  voices,  followed  by  a  revolver  shot,  then  a  beating 
upon  the  door,  such  a  beating  that  the  panels  creaked 
and  groaned. 

"In  the  name  of  the  commissioner  of  the  police, 
open!" 

Again  came  the  voice  from  the  platform,  perfectly  cool, 
not  even  hurried.  "Sit  still,  my  friends.  You  break  no 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  213 

law  here.  It  is  I  whom  they  are  after,  and  my  escape  is 
provided  for." 

Then  silence  again,  broken  by  shouting  from  the  back  of 
the  platform  and  the  crashing  of  the  door  as  it  fell,  torn 
from  its  hinges.  A  stream  of  men  entered  from  both  ends, 
carrying  torches  in  their  hands.  The  people  sat  and 
blinked  at  them,  a  perfectly  well-ordered,  well-conducted 
crowd.  But  on  the  platform  was  no  one  —  nor  in  the 
waiting-room  behind !  Bernhardt  stood  upon  the  platform 
and  shouted: 

"Guard  the  doors,  there!  Every  man  who  leaves  this 
room  must  be  identified." 

A  rush  of  cold  air,  and  he  turned  sharply  round.  One 
of  the  high  windows  on  his  left  was  open.  He  strode 
toward  it  and  looked  out. 

"To  me!"  he  cried,  leaping  out.     "This  way!*" 

John  Peters  withdrew  his  arm  from  Marie's  waist,  and 
set  down  his  glass.  In  doing  so  he  spilled  a  little;  it 
seemed  that  his  hand  was  not  altogether  steady.  His  face 
was  turned  toward  the  suddenly  opened  door. 

"Who  the  devil  let  you  in  here?"  he  asked  fiercely. 

Bernhardt,  who  was  out  of  breath,  and  pale  with  anger, 
made  no  answer.  He  was  busy  looking  round  the  room. 
He  could  see  no  signs  of  any  hurried  entrance.  Both 
Marie  and  her  companion  were  eating  the  same  course, 


214  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

their  bottle  of  wine  was  almost  empty.     There  was  not 

a  single  suspicious  circumstance  to  be  noted.     He  could 

have  sworn  at  himself,  but  he  did  his  best  to  conceal  his 

anger. 

"No  one,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "As  chief  commis- 
sioner of  the  police,  I  have  the  right  to  enter  any  room  in 
any  restaurant  at  any  time.  I  exercised  my  privilege 
here." 

"This  is  the  second  time  you  have  played  the  spy  upon 
me  lately,"  John  Peters  said  coldly.  "What  is  the  matter 
with  you,  Bernhardt?  What  do  you  want?  Own  up, 
man!" 

Bernhardt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "I  am  a  beaten 
man,"  he  said,  "beaten  at  my  own  game.  There  is  no 
reason  why  I  should  not  tell  you  the  truth.  I  came  here  in 
search  of  the  one  person  whom  I  would  sooner  lay  my 
hands  on  than  any  man  on  earth." 

"And   he "  John  Peters  began.     "Ah!    I  know. 

The  W7atcher,  the  First  Watcher!" 

Bernhardt  assented  silently,  and  John  Peters,  leaning 
back  in  his  chair,  laughed  till  the  tears  came  into  his  eyes. 

"My  friend,"  he  declared,  "I  am  not  angry  with  you 
any  longer.  Take  a  glass  of  wine  with  us.  You  must 
need  it  after  your  disappointment." 

Bernhardt  bowed  and  came  to  the  table.  He  raised 
the  glass  to  his  lips,  and  looked  steadily  at  John  Peters. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  215 

"Here  's  luck  to  the  winner  of  to-day,"  he  said,  "and 
the  loser  of  to-morrow,"  he  added  abruptly,  after  a 
moment's  pause.  He  drained  his  glass  and  set  it  down 
empty. 

"Shall  I  see  you  later?"  he  asked. 

"No,  you  will  not!"  Marie  answered  for  him.  "To- 
night he  belongs  to  me."  She  passed  her  arm  through  her 
companion's. 

Bernhardt  moved  toward  the  door.  "My  apologies," 
he  said,  "tardy  but  sincere,  and  good  night." 

He  disappeared.  Marie  slowly  withdrew  her  arm. 
John  Peters  poured  himself  another  glass  of  wine. 

"That  was  a  close  shave,"  he  remarked.  "You 
managed  everything  splendidly,  Marie." 

She  was  looking  at  him  fixedly.  "Why  is  that  man 
always  following  you  about?"  she  asked.  "What  does  it 
mean,  this  continual  hide-and-seek  between  you  two?" 

"Little  Marie,"  he  said  earnestly,  "that  is  not  a  question 
for  you  to  ask,  or  a  matter  for  you  to  think  about. 
Remember  our  compact:  no  questions,  only  obedience." 

Her  head  drooped  a  little.  "It  is  easy  for  you,"  she 
murmured. 

"For  you  also,"  he  answered,  "if  only  you  will  make  up 
your  mind.  You  are  such  a  splendid  little  ally!  Don't 
spoil  it!"  He  rose  to  his  feet  and  strolled  toward  an 
inner  door. 


216  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"I  am  going  to  change  my  clothes,"  he  said.  "Put 
your  hat  straight,  and  dry  your  eyes  before  I  drive  you 
home." 

Grace  received  him  with  a  doubtful  little  smile.  "You 
have  been  a  very  long  time  indeed,  sir,"  she  declared. 
"We  are  going  in  half  an  hour,  and  I  have  only  one 
dance  left." 

"Then  I  must  take  some  one  else's,"  he  answered 
coolly.  "Come  and  waltz." 

"But  you  must  tell  me  where  you  have  been?"  she 
insisted. 

He  laughed.  "  Making  history,"  he  answered.  "  Bern- 
hardt  and  I  have  been  together.  Ask  him.  He  will  tell 
you  all  about  it." 

"But  I  shall  not  see  him  again,"  she  declared.  "It  is 
his  dance  which  you  have  appropriated." 

"Then  all  I  can  say  is  that  I  believe  at  last  in  the  justice 
of  fate,"  John  Peters  declared,  as  he  led  her  toward  the 
ballroom. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  great  car  swung  on  through  stretches  of  hilly 
country,  past  small  towns  and  straggling  villages. 
Everywhere  were  men  and  women  streaming  to  work,  tall 
chimneys  whose  smoke  stained  the  blue  sky,  rivers  whose 
banks  were  fringed  with  factories.  Now  and  then  they 
left  it  all  as  they  passed  through  portions  of  the  dense  forest, 
only  to  emerge  again  presently  to  a  repetition  of  the  same 
thing.  Industry  seemed  piled  on  industry,  a  country  of 
workers  rather  than  a  country  beautiful. 

"You  are  amazing  me,"  Grace  said,  "I  had  no  idea 
that  Bergeland  was  like  this.  Why,  it  should  be  one  of 
the  richest  countries  for  its  size  in  Europe." 

"It  is,"  John  Peters  answered,  drawing  out  the  clutch, 
and  sending  the  car  swinging  down  a  long  incline,  "only 
its  wealth  has  flowed  in  the  wrong  channels.  Wait  for 
a  year  or  so,  and  you  will  see.  The  people  are  beginning 
to  understand.  They  are  beginning  to  want  their  own 
back  again.  They  will  get  it  now." 

"You  are  speaking  like  one  of  them  yourself,"  she 
laughed. 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment.  "  One  has  lucid  moments," 

217 


218  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

he  said.  "It  has  amused  me  to  study  the  question  from 
their  point  of  view.  The  condemned  man  has  usually  a 
morbid  interest  in  the  weapon  with  which  he  is  to  be 
destroyed." 

"Don't!"  she  said.  "I  don't  like  to  hear  you  talk  like 
that.  You  have  told  me  that  you  are  reconciled  to  being 
—  Mr.  John  Peters." 

"And  I  am,"  he  answered  gravely,  laying  one  hand  for 
a  moment  on  hers.  "I  shall  feel  that  I  am  being  driven 
into  paradise  instead  of  exile,  for  you  are  going  with  me." 

She  sighed,  a  sigh  of  perfect  content.  "I  suppose,"  she 
said,  "I  must  give  up  the  stage?" 

"I  am  afraid  so,"  he  answered.  " It  will  not  break  your 
heart?" 

"Nothing  nor  anybody  but  you  could  do  that,"  she 
answered  softly. 

They  rushed  through  another  village.  The  streets 
were  thronged  with  working  people  on  their  way  to  the 
factories.  They  looked  curiously  at  the  great  car,  but  it 
passed  too  quickly  to  be  recognized. 

"You  are  driving  fast,"  she  remarked. 

He  nodded.  "We  are  in  the  centre  of  the  real  demo- 
cratic district,"  he  answered.  "If  these  people  knew  who 
I  am,  I  believe  they  would  hold  up  the  car  and  stone  me." 

She  shuddered.  "It  is  terrible,"  she  declared,  "to  be 
so  hated  by  one's  own  people." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  219 

"It  isn't  I  so  much,"  he  answered,  "as  the  things 
I  represent.  I  have  more  enemies  in  the  city  itself. 
I  sometimes  wonder  whether  they  will  ever  let  me 
leave  it." 

"Do  you  mean  that?"  she  asked,  looking  at  him  with 
fearful  eyes. 

He  nodded.  "There  is  an  extreme  section  of  the  party," 
he  remarked,  "who  do  not  believe  in  a  bloodless 
revolution." 

"But  this  wonderful  leader  of  theirs  does,"  she  said. 
"  Is  it  true  that  he  spoke  to  the  three  hundred  last  night  in  a 
dark  room  without  being  seen?" 

"I  have  heard  so,"  he  answered. 

She  looked  at  him  furtively.  "They  say,"  she  con- 
tinued, "that  he  insisted  that  no  harm  must  happen  to  the 
king,  but  that  he  left  you  to  take  care  of  yourself." 

"I  heard  that,"  he  admitted.  "You  see  I'm  not 
popular  in  Varia." 

"If  people  knew  you  better,"  she  murmured,  "it  would 
be  different." 

"I  am  not  sure  of  that,"  he  answered.  "It  is  true  that 
we  are  a  degenerate  family.  There  is  n't  another  royal 
house  in  Europe  that  has  treated  its  people  as  badly  as 
ours  has  done." 

She  sighed.  "We  will  not  talk  of  that,  will  we?"  she 
begged.  "It  is  all  finished  and  done  with.  I  have 


220  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

always  thought  that  life  as  a  royal  personage  must  be  very 
difficult.     It  will  be  simpler  as  Mr.  John  Peters." 

"It  will  be  happier,"  he  whispered,  with  a  sudden  light 
in  his  eyes,  "infinitely  happier." 

They  were  drawing  near  the  city  again,  passing  along  a 
road  fringed  with  handsome  villas. 

"I  don't  quite  understand,"  she  remarked,  "where  your 
middle-class  come  in  politically  in  Varia.  I  mean  the 
shopkeepers,  the  manufacturers,  the  employers  of  all  this 
labour.  Surely  their  interests  cannot  be  the  same  as  the 
working  people's!  I  should  have  thought  that  they  would 
have  represented  a  great  anti-republican  power." 

"In  fifty  years'  time,"  he  answered,  "there  will  be 
trouble.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  their  position  is  too  recently 
won  for  them  to  appreciate  the  situation.  They  are  too 
near  the  people  themselves  from  whom  they  came.  The 
next  generation  will  draw  away,  perhaps,  but  this  one 
remembers  its  struggles  and  is  faithful." 

"I  think  I  can  understand  that,"  she  said. 

"In  fifty  years'  time,"  he  said,  "Bergeland  should  be 
a  world-power.  If  only  she  is  wisely  led  and  not  inter- 
fered with,  if  only  she  can  steer  clear  of  the  great 
mistakes." 

"Who  would  interfere  with  her?"  Grace  asked. 

"Germany,"  John  Peters  answered  at  once.  "She  is 
scheming  to  do  so  now.  She  sees  far  into  the  future, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  221 

and  she  dreads  rivals.  I  am  very  much  afraid  that  my 
uncle  is  playing  into  her  hands." 

"You  mean,"  she  asked,  "that  he  will  accept  her  aid  to 
bolster  up  his  kingdom?" 

"I  believe  that  is  his  idea  and  De  Suess's,"  John  Peters 
answered  gloomily.  "Frankly,  if  they  try  it,  I  see  no 
hope  for  any  of  us.  Our  bloodless  revolution  will  become 
a  carnage,  and  one  of  the  first  to  suffer  will  be  my  uncle 
himself.  Hello,  what 's  this  ?" 

A  troop  of  mounted  police  came  galloping  down  the  road 
from  the  city.  At  the  sight  of  the  car  they  drew  up,  and 
their  leader  waved  his  hand.  John  Peters  brought  the 
car  to  a  standstill.  The  young  lieutenant  rode  up  with  a 
salute. 

"Baron  Bernhardt  sent  us  to  meet  your  Royal  Highness," 
he  explained.  "There  is  rioting  in  the  city,  and  the  main 
streets  are  not  safe.  The  chief  suggested  that  you  return 
to  the  palace  by  the  outer  boulevards." 

"Is  the  rioting  serious?"  John  Peters  asked. 

"Not  particularly,  your  Highness,"  the  lieutenant 
answered.  "  It  goes  on  more  or  less  every  day.  There  are 
a  few  windows  broken  and  a  few  people  injured." 

"Do  you  arrest  anybody?" 

"Our  instructions  are  to  disperse  the  people,  but  to 
make  no  arrests  unless  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  your 
Highness,"  the  lieutenant  answered. 


222  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

John  Peters  smiled  as  he  slipped  in  the  reverse  and 
turned  his  car  round.  "Bernhardt  is  no  fool,"  he 
remarked.  "There  really  is  no  reason  why  he  should 
not  keep  his  post  under  the  new  regime.  I  hope  he  will. ' 

They  sped  around  the  city  and  drew  up  in  front  of 
Madame  de  Sayers's  house. 

"I  wish,"  he  said,  as  he  handed  Grace  out,  "that  I 
could  persuade  you  to  go  back  to  England,  or  at  least  as 
far  as  Paris,  until  these  troubles  are  over.  One  can't  tell 
exactly  what  may  happen.  If  the  under  half  got  control 
for  even  a  day,  Varia  would  n't  be  a  fit  city  for  any 
woman." 

"The  fittest  city  in  the  world  for  any  woman,"  Grace 
answered,  "is  the  city  where  the  man  she  loves  is  — 
especially  if  there  is  danger." 

"It's  a  delightful  sentiment,"  he  answered,  clasping 
her  hand,  "but  think  of  the  added  anxiety  to  the  man." 

"Selfish  creature,"  she  answered.  "Think  of  the 
misery  of  the  woman  who  knows  that  her  lover  is  in  danger 
while  she  is  safe." 

"One  can't  argue  with  you,"  he  replied,  as  he  reentered 
the  car.  "I  shall  have  to  wait  until  I  can  quote  —  the 
marriage  service  to  you." 

"If  I  thought  that  you  meant  it,"  she  laughed,  "there 
would  never  be  any  marriage  service." 

John  Peters  was  driving  in  at  the  palace  gates,  when  he 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  223 

suddenly  brought  the  car  to  a  standstill,  and  hailed  a 
pedestrian  who  was  passing  out.  "Sir  Charles,"  he 
called,  "can  you  spare  me  a  few  minutes?" 

Sir  Charles  Romford,  English  ambassador  to  Berge- 
land,  looked  up  quickly.  He  was  walking  with  his 
hands  behind  him  and  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground  — 
a  tall,  distinguished-looking  man,  with  clean-shaven  face 
and  shrewd,  kindly  eyes.  He  did  not  appear  particu- 
larly pleased  when  he  saw  who  it  was  that  had  accosted 
him. 

"Certainly,  Prince,"  he  answered,  "I  have  just  been 
to  the  palace." 

"You  have  seen  my  uncle ?"  John  Peters  asked. 

Sir  Charles  shook  his  head.  "Plis  Majesty  was  unfortu- 
nately slightly  indisposed/'  he  answered,  "and  was  not 
able  to  grant  me  the  audience  I  desired.  To  tell  you  the 
truth,"  he  continued,  "I  am  feeling  a  little  upset  about  my 
continued  failure  to  obtain  an  audience  with  the  king. 
I  happen  to  know  that  De  Suess  was  closeted  with  him  this 
morning." 

John  Peters  descended  from  the  driving-seat  of  the  car, 
and  motioned  to  the  chauffeur  to  take  his  place.  "  If  you 
do  not  mind,  Sir  Charles,"  he  said,  "we  will  drive  slowly 
through  the  park  and  I  will  drop  you  at  the  embassy.  I 
think  it  will  be  to  our  mutual  advantage  if  you  and  I 
have  a  little  talk." 


224  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Sir  Charles  stepped  into  the  car,  and  John  Peters, 
after  giving  some  instructions  to  the  chauffeur,  seated  him- 
self by  his  side. 

"Sir  Charles,"  he  said,  "I  want  you  to  speak  to  me  as 
though  I  were  my  uncle.  I  want  you  to  tell  me  the  exact 
reason  of  your  visit  to  him  this  morning." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

SIR   CHARLES   was  puzzled.     He   looked    at    his 
companion  doubtfully,  and  hesitated  a  moment  be- 
fore he  replied.      "My  call  upon  your  uncle,"   he  said, 
"had  to  do  with  state  affairs,  in  which  I  have  heard  it  said 
that  you  are  not  greatly  interested." 

John  Peters  smiled.  He  understood,  of  course,  that  his 
companion  shared  the  universal  opinion  concerning  him 
and  his  manner  of  life. 

"Sir  Charles,"  he  said,  "I  should  like  you  to  put  out  of 
your  mind  for  a  few  moments  all  that  you  have  heard  con- 
cerning me,  the  manner  of  my  life,  and  my  habits.  Think 
of  me,  if  you  can,  as  one  who  is  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  this  country  and  is  anxious  to  discuss  with  you  several 
matters  concerning  it.  You  may  find  that  I  am  able  to 
give  you  quite  as  much  information  as  his  Majesty, 
my  uncle." 

Sir  Charles  turned  in  his  seat  and  looked  for  a  moment 
thoughtfully  at  his  companion.  Certainly  there  was  noth- 
ing in  the  appearance  of  this  young  man  to  justify  his  evil 
reputation.  His  face  was  clean  and  strong  and  hard,  his 
eyes  were  bright,  and  his  manner  earnest.  There  was  very 
little  to  lose,  after  all,  in  taking  him  seriously. 

225 


226  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Your  request,  Prince,"  Sir  Charles  said,  "is,  I  must 
confess,  rather  a  surprise  to  me,  but  it  is  possible  that  I  and 
a  good  many  more  people  may  have  been  mistaken. 
You  wish  me  to  tell  you  exactly  what  was  in  my  mind  when 
I  went  to  see  his  Majesty  this  afternoon.  First,  then,  I 
went  to  ask  him  if  he  could  not  give  me  some  information 
as  to  the  curious  political  condition  of  the  country,  and  the 
probable  course  of  events  when  the  members  of  the  House 
of  Assembly  have  taken  their  places  and  a  government  is 
formed." 

John  Peters  nodded.  "That,"  he  said,  "is  a  very 
reasonable  position.  The  state  of  affairs  is  certainly  a 
little  perplexing." 

"Secondly,"  the  ambassador  continued,  "I  wished  to 
ask  him  if  he  could  give  me  any  information  respecting 
the  massing  of  German  troops  on  the  eastern  frontier  of 
this  country.  It  is  an  open  secret  that  there  are  one 
hundred  thousand  men,  in  fact  a  complete  army  corps,  with 
all  equipments,  rolling-stock  and  guns,  within  a  few  hours' 
journey  of  this  city.  My  government  does  not  understand 
it,  and  I  am  instructed  to  ask  for  an  explanation.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  however,  at  present  you  seem  to  have  no 
ministers  from  whom  one  could  derive  information  of  any 
sort.  That  is  why  I  have  just  made  my  third  unsuccess- 
ful effort  to  obtain  an  interview  with  the  king,"  Sir  Charles 
ended  dryly. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  227 

John  Peters  nodded.  "Sir  Charles,"  he  said,  "I  am 
glad  that  you  have  been  frank  with  me.  I  can  tell  you 
more,  perhaps,  about  these  happenings  than  you  would 
have  believed  possible." 

"You  interest  me  very  much,"  Sir  Charles  remarked. 

"To  begin  with,"  John  Peters  said,  "you  are  probably 
aware  that  the  government  which  is  coming  into  power  is 
composed  almost  entirely  of  Republicans.  The  moment 
Parliament  is  opened  they  will  have  their  list  of  ministers 
already  made  out.  They  will  proclaim  a  republic  and 
appoint  a  president.  My  uncle  will  be  asked  to  abdicate, 
and  he  and  I,  of  course,  will  both  be  banished." 

Sir  Charles  was  becoming  very  serious.  "I  have  heard 
rumours  of  this,"  he  said,  "but  I  scarcely  thought  it  had 
gone  quite  so  far.  Are  you  quite  sure  of  what  you  say, 
Prince?" 

"I  am  perfectly  certain,"  John  Peters  answered,  "that 
this  is  the  inevitable  course  of  events.  I  see  no  help  for  it 
whatever.  The  republican  spirit  is  absolutely  paramount 
through  every  class  of  society  in  this  country,  and  nothing 
is  more  certain  than  that  Bergeland  is  destined  to  become 
the  most  modern,  and  I  hope  the  most  successful,  republic 
in  Europe." 

Sir  Charles  looked  again  at  his  companion,  and  some- 
thing of  the  wonder  which  he  felt  was  reflected  in 
his  tone. 


228  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"You  take  this  very  philosophically,  Prince,"  he 
remarked. 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "It  is  the  inevit- 
able. One  accepts  that,  of  course.  To  pass  on  now  to  the 
second  part  of  your  purpose  in  seeking  my  uncle  this  after- 
noon. You  wanted  an  explanation  as  to  the  mobilizing 
of  those  German  troops  on  our  frontier?" 

"That  is  quite  true,"  Sir  Charles  answered.  "My 
government  is  most  urgent  in  its  inquiries,  and  insists 
that  I  demand  an  explanation." 

"Very  well,"  John  Peters  said,  "here  it  is:  My  uncle  is 
an  old  man,  and  he  does  not  love  the  thought  of  change. 
In  other  words,  having  lived  a  king  for  thirty  years,  he 
prefers  to  die  one.  Therefore  he  is  contemplating  refusing 
to  abdicate  when  that  request  is  made  of  him." 

Sir  Charles  inclined  his  head.  "  It  is  not  an  unreason- 
able position,"  he  answered  gravely. 

"Our  army,"  John  Peters  continued,  "is  of  course  a 
very  small  affair,  and  although  at  first  my  uncle  professed 
to  have  great  faith  in  it,  in  his  heart  he  knows  very  well 
that  against  the  will  of  the  nation  it  is  powerless.  There- 
fore he  began  to  look  about  for  outside  help,  and  turned 
naturally  to  his  most  powerful  neighbours.  You  can 
imagine  that  the  Prince  de  Suess,  and  behind  him  the 
Kaiser,  did  not  hesitate  to  grab  at  such  a  chance.  The 
Kaiser  is  only  too  willing  to  lend  his  aid  to  support  my 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  229 

uncle  upon  the  throne,  but  you  and  I  know  very  well  that 
if  once  that  German  army  corps  crosses  the  frontier, 
Bergeland  may  call  herself  a  republic  if  she  will,  but  her 
existence  as  an  independent  power  will  be  doomed 
forever." 

"Does  not  his  Majesty  himself  realize  this?"  Sir 
Charles  asked. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  in  his  heart  he  does,"  John  Peters 
answered,  "but  he  chooses  it  as  the  lesser  of  two  evils." 

"The  lesser?"  Sir  Charles  said  softly,  under  his  breath- 

John  Peters  nodded.  "He  is,  of  course,  mistaken,"  he 
declared.  "  Apart  from  the  humiliation  of  the  whole  thing, 
I  am  perfectly  certain  that  such  a  course  would  avail 
him  nothing." 

"You  mean?"  Sir  Charles  asked. 

"I  mean  that  he  would  be  assassinated  within  a  week," 
John  Peters  said.  "The  man  who  brought  war  into  his 
own  country,  who  brought  mercenaries  to  fight  his  own 
people,  would  deserve  death,  and  he  would  most  surely  be 
killed.  However,  it  is  the  fate  of  the  whole  country  of 
which  I  am  thinking,  and  not  my  uncle's  life  or  death.  I 
want  you  to  tell  me  this,  Sir  Charles :  What  position  would 
your  country  take  if  my  uncle  called  upon  German  arms  to 
resist  the  will  of  his  people  ?  " 

"That  is  a  question,"  Sir  Charles  answered,  "which  of 
course  I  could  not  presume  to  answer.  If,  however,  you 


230  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

ask  for  my  opinion,  I  should  say  that  neither  England  nor 

France  would  permit  such  an  interference." 

John  Peters  nodded  in  a  satisfied  way.  "I  rather 
fancied,"  he  remarked  softly,  "that  you  would  say  that. 
In  fact,  it  was  to  hear  you  say  something  of  the  sort  that  I 
asked  you  to  ride  with  me  here.  You  should  put  these 
facts  which  I  have  given  you  before  your  government,  and 
through  it  before  France.  If  you  take  firm  and  concerted 
action,  Germany  will  not  dare  to  move  a  finger." 

Sir  Charles  nodded.  He  had  now  heard  all  that  he  had 
been  wanting  to  hear  for  the  last  week,  and  his  future 
course  of  action  was  absolutely  simple. 

"You  must  allow  me  to  take  you  home,"  John  Peters 
said.  "We  are  not  far  from  the  embassy." 

"You  are  very  good,"  Sir  Charles  replied.  "I  shall 
accept  your  offer  with  pleasure." 

John  Peters  touched  the  electric  bell  and  gave  an  order 
to  the  chauffeur.  They  swung  off  into  the  road.  All 
the  time  Sir  Charles  was  studying  his  companion 
curiously. 

"If  it  does  not  sound  impertinent,  Prince,"  he  said, 
"I  should  like  to  know  exactly  what  is  your  position  in  this 
matter?" 

"I  am  a  well-wisher  of  the  country,"  John  Peters  said. 
"  I  am  quite  prepared  to  accept  my  banishment  and  retire 
to  private  life.  I  fancy,"  he  added  with  a  smile,  "that  a 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  231 

position  where  one's  foibles  and  weaknesses  were  not  so 
much  under  the  public  eye  would  suit  me  better." 

"Under  the  circumstances,"  Sir  Charles  said,  "I  have 
no  doubt  that  you  are  right.  I  am  going  now  to  cable  to 
my  government." 

"Unofficially,"  John  Peters  said,  "I  should  very  much 
like  to  know  the  result  of  your  cable." 

"Unofficially,"  the  ambassador  answered,  "I  will  come 
around  and  tell  you." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

JOHN  PETERS  rose  from  his  chair,  frowning  slightly. 
A  discreet  man-servant  ushered  in  his  visitor,  and 
immediately  departed,  closing  the  door. 

He  at  first  failed  to  recognize  his  visitor,  who  was  small 
and  petite,  covered  from  head  to  foot  in  a  long  cloak,  arid 
heavily  veiled.  She  came  somewhat  timidly  toward  him. 

"Pardon  me,"  he  began,  "I " 

She  raised  her  veil,  and  he  broke  off  in  his  sentence. 

"Marie!"  he  exclaimed.  "Why,  I  thought  you  were 
dancing  this  evening.  Why  have  you  come  here  ?  " 

He  brought  her  a  chair.  She  seemed  indeed  to  need  it. 
She  was  unusually  pale,  and  there  were  dark  lines  under 
her  eyes. 

"I  told  them,"  she  said,  "that  I  was  too  ill  to  dance. 
I  wanted  to  see  you.  I  have  something  to  tell  you." 

"Well?"  he  asked,  more  kindly,  "is  it  anything  so 
terribly  serious?" 

"Yes,"  she  answered. 

"Well,  go  on,  then,"  he  said  reassuringly.  "Tell  me 
all  about  it." 

Her  fingers  played  with  the  buttons  of  her  cloak.     He 

232 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  233 

could  see  that  they  were  shaking;  he  could  see  also  the 
rapid  rise  and  fall  of  her  bosom. 

"You  know  that  my  father "  she  began. 

"Yes,  I  know,"  he  interrupted,  "I  know  that  he  is  one 
of  the  —  shall  I  call  them  anti-royalists  ?  —  and  your 
brother,  too.  "Well,  what  of  it  ?  I  do  not  think  the  worse 
of  them  for  that." 

" But  they  are  mad! "  she  exclaimed.  "They  know  that 
you  come  to  see  me  sometimes,  and  although  it  is  very 
foolish  they  are  very  angry." 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "My  dear  girl," 
he  said,  not  unkindly,  "surely  I  am  not  the  only  man  who 
has  ventured  to  admire  you  ?  " 

"  No,  no !"  she  exclaimed ;  "  it  is  not  that.  They  know 
well  enough  all  that  there  is  to  know  about  me,  and  yet, 
because  it  is  you,  and  because  you  are  the  crown  prince, 
they  are  angry.  To-day  I  overheard  them  talking." 

"Well?"  he  asked. 

"  They  spoke  of  the  king,  and  they  spoke  of  you.  They 
said  that  it  had  been  decided  that  it  would  be  unwise  to  let 
you  live.  They  said  that  if  you  went  away  you  would 
always  be  plotting  to  get  back.  I  heard  them  say  that  it 
had  been  decided  only  last  night  that  before  the  new 
Parliament  met  you  should  be  assassinated." 

"I  have  no  doubt,"  John  Peters  said  carelessly,  "that 
some  one  will  be  idiotic  enough  to  make  the  attempt,  but 


234  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

as  you  see,  my  dear  child,  one  sometimes  lives  longest 

when  one  is  most  threatened." 

His  words  sounded  strong  enough,  and  confident,  but 
the  girl  was  very  little  relieved.  She  leaned  toward  him. 

"Why  don't  you  go  away  at  once,"  she  whispered, 
"  while  there  is  time  ?  You  can  do  no  good  here.  Nothing 
can  save  the  country  now.  If  you  stay  till  the  end 
you  will  not  leave  it  at  all.  Why  not  go  to  Paris  to-night, 
and  —  and ' 

John  Peters  laughed  softly,  and  took  her  little  hands  in 
his  for  a  moment.  Then  he  let  them  go.  "And  take 
you,  eh,  little  girl?"  he  said.  "No;  I  cannot  do  that. 
My  work  here  is  not  finished,  will  not  be  finished  till  the 
last  moment.  I  must  run  my  risks.  After  all,  it  will  not 
be  for  very  much  longer." 

She  wras  paler  than  ever  with  anxiety.  Her  words,  by 
their  very  impotence,  seemed  to  mock  her.  "You  think," 
she  said,  "that  they  would  make  a  mistake;  because  you 
are  strong  they  will  not  easily  be  able  to  kill  you!  Of 
what  use  are  strength  and  courage  against  men  who  stab 
in  the  dark?  You  must  go,  indeed  you  must  go." 

"That,"  he  answered  gravely,  "is  out  of  the  question. 
Like  the  more  sentimental  half  of  the  world,  you  attach 
too  much  importance  to  life  and  death,  little  girl.  If  you 
were  a  man  you  would  know  what  I  mean.  These  things, 
after  all,  are  relative  states.  It  is  better  to  be  dead,  and 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  235 

to  have  done  the  work  that  lay  before  one,  than  to 
be  wearing  the  mantle  of  an  unworthy  life.  I  must  finish 
my  work  here,  and  whatever  might  happen  to  me, 
after  all,  does  n't  matter  so  very  much.  It  must 
be  done." 

She  burst  into  tears.  "Oh!  but  it  does  matter,"  she 
sobbed.  "  If  you  do  not  care  for  yourself,  how  about  those 
who  are  fond  of  you  ? " 

"If  they,"  he  answered,  "are  the  sort  of  people  I  would 
have  them  be,  they  would  rather  see  me  dead  than  have  me 
save  my  skin  by  an  unworthy  flight." 

"I  am  afraid,"  she  said  timidly,  "that  your  friends  are 
not  all  like  that.  I  —  oh,  please  1 "  she  broke  off  suddenly, 
rising  and  seizing  his  hands.  "  Do  go.  Can't  you  guess 
why  I  beg  it  ?  I  am  afraid  it  is  Albert  who  will  — 

He  patted  her  on  the  cheek.  "I  understand,"  he  said, 
"  and  you  need  not  mind.  Albert  will  only  do,  or  try  to  do, 
his  duty.  Thank  you  for  coming,  little  girl,  and  I  promise 
that  I  will  take  all  the  care  of  myself  that  I  possibly  can, 
but  I  cannot  leave  the  city  yet." 

She  looked  at  him  despairingly.  "Then  there  is 
Bernhardt,"  she  said.  "He  comes  to  see  me  every  day. 
His  spies  are  always  outside  my  rooms.  He  asks  me  the 
same  questions  all  the  time.  I  am  afraid  he  suspects." 

"Suspects  what?"  John  Peters  asked. 

"That  you  have  been  helping  the  man  whom  they  call 


236  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

the  First  Watcher,"  she  answered  slowly.  "He  has 
suspected  something  ever  since  the  night  when  he  broke 
in  and  found  us  together/' 

"You  have  been  careful,"  John  Peters  said,  "in  all  that 
you  have  told  him?" 

"I  have  told  him  nothing,  because  I  know  nothing,"  she 
answered.  "  Only " 

"Only  what?"  he  said  encouragingly. 

"He  asked  me  whether  you  were  indeed  my  lover,  and 
I  told  him  —  what  ought  I  to  have  told  him?" 

"That  I  am,"  he  answered  calmly. 

"I  told  him  so,"  she  said.  "I  thought  that  you  would  not 
have  taken  all  this  trouble  to  make  people  believe  that  you 
are  if  you  had  not  wished  them  to  believe  it." 

"Quite  right,"  John  Peters  said  approvingly.  "And 
now,  Marie,  I  am  going  to  send  you  away.  You  are  sure 
that  you  are  not  dancing  this  evening  ?  " 

"Quite  sure,"  she  answered.  "Indeed,  I  am  not  well 
enough.  I  have  been  frightened,  and  I  am  nervous." 

"Then  go  to  Bergman's,"  he  said,  "and  let  them  know 
that  we  shall  be  there  for  supper  at  eleven  o'clock.  We 
will  give  the  dear  baron  one  more  run  for  his  money.  I 
fancy  it  will  be  the  last." 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  his  for  a  moment,  soft  and  full 
of  unshed  tears;  then,  as  she  dropped  them,  she  caught  his 
hand  and  kissed  it.  "I  am  glad,"  she  said  softly,  "that 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  237 

there  is  going  to  be  one  more  evening,  even  though  it  is  all 
make-believe." 

"  At  eleven  o'clock,"  he  reminded  her,  smiling. 

He  touched  a  bell,  and  sent  her  away  in  the  care  of  his  own 
servant.  Then  he  stood  with  folded  arms  on  the  hearth- 
rug, in  front  of  a  wood  fire,  thinking.  This  room  of  his 
was  perhaps  the  plainest  and  least  expensively  furnished 
of  any  room  at  the  palace.  One  side  of  it  resembled  a  small 
armory.  There  were  swords  of  different  length  and  shape, 
revolvers,  and  a  collection  of  sporting-guns.  The  rest 
of  the  room  seemed  taken  up  with  books.  The  furniture 
was  old,  and  a  distinct  smell  of  tobacco  hung  about  the 
place.  Yet  there  was  a  certain  flavour  of  austerity  which 
seemed  not  altogether  out  of  keeping  with  the  man  him- 
self, as  he  stood  there  with  wrinkled  forehead  and  close- 
drawn  mouth,  looking  steadily  through  the  walls,  out  of 
the  room,  into  the  heart  of  the  city  beyond.  When  at  last 
he  stirred,  he  rang  a  bell  and  summoned  his  servant. 

"Tell  them,"  he  directed,  "to  have  the  plain  motor 
ready  for  me  in  half  an  hour." 

The  man  bowed  and  withdrew  without  change  of  counte- 
nance. Once  outside  the  room,  however,  he  kicked 
vigorously  a  small  spaniel  that  came  fawning  about  him. 
The  plain  motor  meant  that  his  master  was  going  out 
incognito,  and  when  that  happened  it  usually  meant  a 
return  by  daylight. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

JOHN  PETERS  threw  his  fur  overcoat  into  a  chair, 
and  strolled  over  toward  the  supper-table,  where 
Marie  was  already  awaiting  him.  She  was  dressed  in 
plain  black  velvet,  with  a  simple  collar  of  pearls,  and  the 
severity  of  her  toilet  seemed  to  heighten  the  pallor  of  her 
cheeks  and  her  general  air  of  nervous  ill-health. 

"The  table,"  she  remarked,  "is  laid  for  three.  There 
is  no  one  else  coming,  is  there  ?  " 

"I  am  not  so  sure,"  John  Peters  answered.  "I  sent  a 
note  to  Bernhardt,  asking  him  to  join  us." 

She  looked  at  him  as  though  doubtful  whether  she  had 
heard  aright.  "You  mean  Bernhardt,  the  commissioner 
of  police?"  she  exclaimed,  "the  man  who  comes  worrying 
me  all  the  time  about  you?" 

"The  same,"  he  answered. 

"But  what  for?"  she  asked.  "Why  do  you  want  him 
here?  He  will  simply  ask  questions  and  watch,  and 
watch,  and  watch.  He  thinks  of  nothing,  he  dreams  of 
nothing,  but  that  one  purpose  of  his.  I  think  that  if  he 
does  not  soon  succeed  he  will  go  mad." 

"What  purpose  do  you  mean?"  John  Peters  asked. 

288 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  239 

"  To  discover  the  First  Watcher,"  she  answered.  "  That 
is  what  Bernhardt  lives  for,  that  is  what  I  think  he  would 
be  willing  to  die  for.  Even  now  I  think  he  feels  that  if 
he  should  succeed  before  the  next  few  days  are  over,  he 
might  still  take  a  hand  in  the  things  that  are  going  to 
happen." 

John  Peters  twisted  a  cigarette  and  smiled.  "Yes!" 
he  said,  "I  fancied  that  Bernhardt  felt  something  like 
that.  That  is  one  reason  why  I  asked  him  to  come  here 
with  us  to-night." 

"I  do  not  understand,"  she  murmured.  "I  only  know 
that  I  would  rather  that  we  were  alone,  and  I  would 
rather  that  that  man's  eyes  were  not  always  following 
you  and  me." 

He  smiled  as  he  sat  down  beside  her.  "  We  have  played 
the  game  for  months  now,"  he  said,  "and  we  have  not  lost 
a  trick.  You  are  not  afraid,  little  girl?" 

"I  have  never  been  afraid,"  she  answered.  "I  never 
should  be,  so  long  as  you  were  with  me." 

"You  do  yourself  less  than  justice,"  he  said,  "for  you 
have  held  your  own  more  than  once  against  Bernhardt 
himself.  I  suppose,"  he  asked,  "he  has  tried  to  bribe 
you?" 

"  He  has  offered  me  a  necklace,"  she  answered. 

John  Peters  nodded.  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  spent  the 
other  afternoon,  or  a  part  of  it,  looking  through  the  old 


240  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

crown  jewels,  and  out  of  them  I  put  on  one  side  a 
necklace  which  the  queens  of  Bergeland  have  worn 
for  generations.  It  will  come  to  you,  Marie,  in  a 
day  or  two,  and  I  think  you  will  find  that  it  will  repay 
you  for  refusing  anything  which  our  friend  Bernhardt 
has  offered." 

She  did  not  seem  unreasonably  gratified.  "It  is  very 
kind  of  you,"  she  said,  "but  you  know  very  well  that, 
necklace  or  no  necklace,  the  result  would  have  been 
the  same." 

"You  are  a  faithful  little  woman,"  he  said,  patting  her 

hand   lightly.     "Some   day  I   hope "     He   stopped 

short.     She  leaned  forward  and  looked  into  his  face. 

"You  hope  what?"  she  whispered. 

"That  you  may  find  somewhere  the  only  thing  there 
is  in  life  worth  having  for  a  woman,"  he  said,  "a  home 
and  a  husband  and  all  the  rest  of  it." 

She  drew  away  from  him  and  laughed,  a  clear,  hard 
little  laugh.  "I  look  like  it,  don't  I?"  she  said.  "lam 
afraid  it  is  a  little  too  late  for  wishes  like  that." 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  Bernhardt 
entered.  Marie  looked  at  him  with  eyes  of  fire,  but 
John  Peters,  at  least,  was  relieved  at  his  coming.  He 
held  out  his  hand  and  showed  him  the  vacant  place  at 
the  table. 

"Come,"  he  said;  "it  may  not  be  many  times  that  I  am 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  241 

able  to  offer  you  hospitality.  Sit  down  and  sup  with  us. 
Marie  and  I  have  both  had  something  to  say  to  you  for  a 
long  time." 

Bernhardt  came  slowly  over  to  them,  and  took  the  chair 
which  his  host  was  holding. 

"I  have  rung  for  supper,"  John  Peters  said,  "and  the 
wine  is  already  in  the  room.  How  goes  it  in  the  city  ?  " 

Bernhardt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Things  might  be 
worse,"  he  said.  "There  are  a  few  small  bands  of  rioters 
going  about,  but  there  are  whole  armies  of  people  who 
watch  them  with  a  smile,  as  though  to  say  'To-morrow  it 
will  be  our  turn!"3 

"The  time  is  short  now,"  John  Peters  said,  "a  few  days 
only,  a  few  breathless  days.  The  sooner  they  are  past  the 
better.  Fill  your  glass,  Bernhardt.  The  wine  is  good; 
do  not  be  afraid  of  it." 

"There  are  things  going  on  outside  the  city,"  Bernhardt 
said  slowly,  "which  puzzle  one." 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  These  were  not 
the  matters  which  he  wished  to  discuss  with  his  guest. 
"Look  here,  Bernhardt,"  he  said,  "it  is  you  who  are 
partly  responsible  for  the  state  we  are  in.  Do  you  realize 
that,  my  friend?" 

"I  should  be  a  fool  to  admit  it,"  Bernhardt  answered, 
a  little  glumly. 

"Yet  in  your  heart  you  know  very  well,"  John  Peters 


242  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

said,  "  that  if  you  had  arrested  one  man  six  months  ago  the 
whole  country  would  have  been  in  a  different  position. 
Does  n't  every  one  say  that  it  is  the  Watcher  who  has 
drawn  the  people  together?" 

Bernhardt  nodded.  "But  I  am  not  sure/'  he  said, 
"that  this  wonderful  person  is  not  a  myth.  I  have  heard 
of  such  things  before.  I  am  coming  to  the  conclusion  that 
that  man  does  not  exist,  but  that  one  of  the  others  cleverly 
plays  his  part,  with  a  view  to  working  on  the  imaginations 
of  an  impressionable  people." 

"That 's  a  fine  theory,"  John  Peters  said,  "but  a  theory 
it  will  remain.  Drink  your  wine,  Bernhardt,  for  I  am 
going  to  tell  you  news.  The  Watcher  does  exist.  I 
myself  have  met  and  spoken  with  him." 

Bernhardt  set  down  his  glass  slowly.  His  eyes  were 
fixed  upon  the  face  of  the  other  man.  "You  have  seen 
him,"  he  said,  "and  you  let  him  go,  the  man  at  whose 
doors  will  lie  the  ruin  of  your  kingdom  ? " 

"  I  let  him  go,"  John  Peters  answered.  "  I  know  of  no 
law  that  he  has  broken,  and  I  imagine  that  what  he  has 
done  he  has  done  for  the  love  cf  the  people.  I  could  not 
punish  him,  even  if  the  worst  happens." 

"  But  we,"  Bernhardt  said,  "we  might  punish  him.  He 
has  broken  laws  against  us.  He  has  covered  us  often  with 
ridicule.  He  has  caused  the  one  failure  of  our  police 
system.  Come,  help  me,  Prince.  It  is  more  to  your 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  243 

interests  than  to  mine  to  show  me  where  to  lay  my  hands 
upon  this  man." 

John  Peters  shook  his  head.  "It  would  not  be  sport- 
ing," he  answered;  "but  see  here:  A  few  days  more 
or  less  make  little  difference  to  you,  so  long  as  the  thing 
itself  is  in  time.  I  promise  you  that  in  four  days'  time 
I  will  bring  to  you  the  man  of  whom  you  are  talking. 
The  only  condition  that  I  make  is  that  you  leave  the  search 
wholly  in  my  hands ;  that  for,  say,  three  days  you  stand  on 
one  side  and  let  me  take  your  place.  At  the  end  of  the 
three  days  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour  as  a  gentleman 
that  I  will  produce  the  man  whom  they  have  dubbed 
'the  Watcher/" 

If  Bernhardt  felt  any  surprise  he  did  not  show  it.  "  How 
can  you  guarantee  this,  Prince?"  he  asked. 

"My  word,"  John  Peters  said,  "is  all  I  have  to  give.  I 
do  not  think  that  you  will  require  more  of  me." 

"But  if  in  three  days,"  Bernhardt  said,  "why  not  now? 
Why  not  to-night  ?  Why  not  bring  him  into  this  room  ?  " 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Perhaps,"  he 
said,  "  he  is  not  so  easy  to  find  as  all  that,  and  yet  what  I 
have  told  you  is  true.  Are  you  content?" 

"Naturally,"  Bernhardt  answered;  "but  I  need  not 
promise  that  during  these  two  or  three  days  I  will  keep  my 
eyes  closed  altogether.  I  might  have  an  inspiration  at  any 
moment." 


244  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

John  Peters  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "That,"  he  said, 
"  is  a  different  matter.  I  simply  want  you  to  abandon  any 
practical  efforts  just  while  I  am  making  my  plans.  I  will 
bring  him  to  you  before  the  time  I  say.  Now  let  us  have 
done  with  these  things  for  a  time.  Tell  me  whether  you 
think  republican  Bergeland  will  still  pay  the  price  to  see 
Miss  Marie  here  dance?" 

"Why  not?"  Bernhardt  asked  gallantly.  "Kingdoms 
may  come  and  go,  but  a  woman  who  charms,  charms 
always ! " 

She  laughed  in  his  face.  "All,  Baron,"  she  said,  "if 
one  believed  you  always!" 

They  had  finished  supper  and  were  smoking.  Bern- 
hardt glanced  at  his  watch  and  rose.  "I  came,"  he  said, 
"because  this  was  an  invitation  which  I  could  not  refuse, 
but  they  need  me  out  in  the  streets  to-night.  These  small 
riots  might  break  out  at  any  moment  into  something 
momentous.  Mademoiselle  Marie,  I  kiss  your  hand. 
Prince,  in  four  days  I  shall  remind  you  of  your  promise." 

He  left  them,  and  they  stood  in  silence  until  they  heard 
the  echo  of  his  footsteps  die  away.  Then  John  Peters 
took  up  Marie's  cloak  and  wrapped  it  round  her  slim 
little  figure. 

"I  am  coming  home  with  you,"  he  said.  "There  will  be 
a  meeting  to-night,  and  afterward  I  may  need  your  rooms/' 

She  looked  at  him  and  sighed. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THERE  were  seven  men  who  sat  around  a  long  table 
in  apartment  No.  12,  and  in  the  face  of  every  one 
of  them  were  signs  of  some  unusual  disturbance. 

"  I  see,"  Levitt  was  saying,  "  but  one  thing  to  be  done. 
These  machinations  with  Germany  are  the  work  of  the 
king  and  the  crown  prince.  I  say  that  this  merits  death. 
I  am  willing  myself  to  accompany  any  one  to  the  palace, 
to-night,  to  force  our  way  in,  if  necessary,  and  to  close 
once  and  for  all  this  most  miserable  business." 

"The  palace  is  well  guarded,"  another  remarked. 

"We  can  take  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  men  if  we 
choose,"  Levitt  said,  "and  we  can  take  our  pick  of  them, 
but  I  believe  that  we  should  do  better  with  a  small  party. 
Half  the  guards  of  the  palace  are  on  our  side." 

"I  fear  not,  gentlemen,"  a  voice  said  from  the  upper 
end  of  the  room.  "I  fear  that  you  are  a  little  too  san- 
guine. The  king  has  changed  his  guard  within  the  last 
twenty-four  hours,  dismissed  fifty,  and  had  one  hundred 
fresh  men  brought  in  from  his  own  regiment." 

They  had  all  risen  to  their  feet.    They  had  not  expected 

their  mysterious  leader  to-night. 

245 


246  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Are  you  sure  of  your  information,  sir?"  Levitt  asked 
curiously. 

It  seemed  odd  that  this  man,  who  had  planned  so  cleverly 
the  foundation  of  the  new  republic,  had  himself  the  entree 
to  the  court,  of  which  he  was  showing  himself  so  bitter  an 
enemy. 

"  I  am  quite  sure,"  was  the  confident  answer.  "  I  should 
like  to  know,  gentlemen,  how  you  propose  to  reconcile 
such  an  attempt  as  you  have  been  speaking  of  with  our 
own  bond." 

"The  circumstances,"  Levitt  said,  "have  changed.  The 
king  is  seeking  outside  aid." 

"That  is  ancient  history,"  their  leader  said,  seating 
himself  at  the  end  of  the  table.  "There  is  that  danger 
to  be  faced,  of  course,  but  I  can  assure  you  that  it  is  not 
so  serious  as  you  think.  Germany  is  not  so  popular  that 
all  Europe  will  sit  by  and  see  her  assume  the  protectorate 
of  a  country  so  rich  as  ours." 

The  professor  leaned  forward  across  the  table.  "Is 
this,  sir,"  he  asked,  "a  general  remark,  or  do  you  speak 
from  special  knowledge?" 

"I  speak  from  absolute  knowledge,"  was  the  quiet 
answer.  "If  you  had  bought  an  evening  paper  on  the 
streets  an  hour  ago  you  would  have  seen  that  the  King 
of  England  returned  this  afternoon  from  Sandringham 
to  attend  a  cabinet  council,  and  that  he  afterward  received 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  247 

the  French  ambassador.  That  cabinet  council  was  called 
in  response  to  a  long  telegram  sent  from  here  to-day  by 
Sir  Charles  Romford." 

"You  mean,  then,"  the  professor  said,  "that  Germany 
will  not  be  allowed  to  interfere?" 

"I  do  mean  that,"  was  the  answer.  "If  Germany  per- 
sists there  will  be  a  European  war,  and  for  that  I  do  not 
think  Germany  is  at  present  quite  prepared." 

"If  England  and  France,"  the  professor  said,  "really 
intend  to  hold  together  in  this,  I  think  that  our  friend  the 
Prince  de  Suess  will  have  played  his  cards  in  vain." 

"I,"  said  the  man  at  the  other  end  of  the  table,  "am 
already  convinced  of  that.  Now  listen  to  me:  After  all 
that  I  have  said  as  to  the  form  which  this  revolution  shall 
take,  I  come  here  to-night  unexpectedly,  and  I  find  you 
calmly  discussing  a  plan  for  assassination.  I  know,  of 
course,  that  it  is  hard  to  keep  in  check  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  our  party,  but  it  has  to  be  done,  and  I  want  you  all 
to  understand  this,  that  if  any  move  is  made  in  the  direction 
you  speak  of  before  Parliament  has  met  and  the  committee 
whose  names  we  have  agreed  upon  have  had  their  audience 
with  the  king,  I  not  only  resign  my  position  among  you, 
but  you  may  find  me  on  the  other  side.  Is  that 
understood?" 

They  all  murmured  assent. 

"There    are   only   three  days    more,"    their    leader 


248  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

continued.  "Surely  for  that  time  you  can  curb  your 
impatience!  And,  Grammont,  remember  this:  If  the 
king  himself  should  go  down  to  open  Parliament,  let 
nothing  interfere  with  the  usual  etiquette  an.d  ceremony. 
Remember  that  a  single  false  step  at  that  time  might  make 
all  the  difference  in  the  face  of  Europe  as  to  how  the  new 
state  of  affairs  here  is  looked  upon.  Everything  must  be 
done  deliberately  and  with  dignity.  The  members  of  the 
extreme  party  must  be  kept  quiet.  Arms  are  to  be  issued 
only  to  those  men  in  whom  you  have  confidence.  Remem- 
ber that,  after  all,  arms  are  not  necessary.  There  should 
be  no  fighting,  because  there  will  be  no  one  to  fight." 

"You  are  sure  of  the  army  then?"  Levitt  asked. 

"Quite,  quite  sure  that  they  will  never  fire  upon  the 
people  of  Bergeland,"  was  the  answer.  "The  king  and 
their  own  general  believe  that  they  will.  They  happen  to 
be  wrong.  Are  there  any  other  matters  on  which  you  wish 
to  consult  me?" 

There  were  none.  The  whole  plan  of  action  for  the  next 
few  days  had  been  so  elaborately  drawn  up  and  revised 
that  there  was  indeed  little  to  do  but  to  sit  and  wait.  For 
a  few  moments  there  was  silence  in  the  room.  Then,  at 
the  sound  of  shouting  in  the  street,  several  of  them  went  to 
the  window.  In  the  street  below  a  crowd  of  men  were 
marching  along,  unarmed,  and  apparently  harmless 
enough,  but  singing  a  patriotic  hymn  in  many  keys,  aii;l 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  249 

boldly  waving  banners  and  flags  emblazoned  with  the 
motto  "Freedom  for  Bergeland!"  No  one  attempted  to 
interfere  with  them.  Many  of  the  passers-by  even  turned 
and  joined  their  ranks.  They  swept  on  toward  the  heart  of 
the  city,  and  the  men  who  had  been  watching  them  turned 
back  into  the  room. 

"So  long  as  they  are  allowed  to  shout,"  Grammont 
remarked  dryly,  "they  will  do  very  little  mischief,  and 
there  is  no  one  bold  enough  to  prevent  their  shouting 
themselves  hoarse  if  they  please." 

It  was  past  one  o'clock  when  the  crown  prince  entered 
the  crowded  reception-rooms  of  Madame  de  Sayers.  He 
found  Grace  with  some  difficulty.  She  was  talking  to 
Bernhardt  and  the  Russian  ambassador,  and  there 
was  a  distinct  hesitation  in  her  manner  before  she 
accepted  his  arm. 

"Tell  me  what  is  the  matter?"  he  asked,  as  they 
walked  away. 

"You  are  late  for  one  thing,"  she  answered,  glancing 
at  the  clock.  "I  had  almost  given  you  up." 

"For  that,"  he  said,  "I  will  make  my  excuses  presently. 
What  else  is  there?" 

"  You  had  supper  with  Baron  Bernhardt,  he  tells  me,  at 
the  Cafe*  Bergman." 

"  It  is  true,"  he  admitted.     "  What  else  ?  " 


250  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"Who  was  your  other  companion?" 

"No  one,"  he  answered,  "of  whom  I  can  talk  to  you." 

"Then  why  were  you  there?"  she  asked. 

"Ask  Bernhardt,"  he  answered,  "why  he  was  there." 

She  shook  her  head.  "  Baron  Bernhardt's  movements," 
she  said,  "do  not  interest  me,  nor  have  I  any  right  to 
inquire  into  them.  With  you  it  is  different.  That  third 
person  was" —  she  hesitated  perceptibly  —  "a  lady!" 

"Quite  true,"  he  admitted. 

"Then  I  should  like  to  know,"  she  asked,  "why  you 
were  having  supper  at  the  Cafe*  Bergman  with  a  lady, 
when  you  ought  to  have  been  here  ?" 

He  tried  to  take  her  hand,  but  she  kept  it  withheld. 
"  Grace,"  he  said,  "you  ask  me  these  things  three  days  too 
soon.  It  is  not  my  wish  that  there  should  be  any  secrets 
between  us.  Very  soon  there  shall  be  none.  Very  soon  I 
can  explain  to  you  a  great  deal  about  myself  and  my  doings 
which  must  seem  incomprehensible  now,  but  until  those 
three  days  have  passed  there  is  a  seal  upon  my  lips.  Will 
you  trust  me?" 

She  looked  searchingly  into  his  face.  "I  am  willing 
to  take  so  much  on  trust,"  she  said;  "but  a  supper-party 
at  a  cafe"  of  bad  reputation,  the  very  hour  that  you  ought 
to  have  been  with  me!  Am  I  really  to  wait  three  days  to 
understand  this,  too?" 

"If  you  please,  Grace,"  he  answered. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  251 

She  sighed,  and  tightened  a  little  her  clasp  upon  his  arm. 
"Well,"  she  said,  "I  suppose  I  am  as  great  an  idiot  as 
all  the  rest  of  my  sex,  and  do  what  I  am  told.  For  three 
days,  then,  but  after  that  I  want  you  to  understand  that 
there  will  be  no  more  supper-parties  without  me." 

"It  is  a  promise,"  he  answered,  smiling,  "but  by  that 
time  the  necessity  for  it  will  have  passed.  By  the  by, 
Grace,"  he  added,  looking  around,  "can  you  tell  me  if 
Monsieur  de  Courcelle  is  here  to-night  —  the  French 
ambassador?" 

She  motioned  with  her  fan  a  little  to  the  right.  "He  is 
sitting  there  with  Sir  Charles  Romford.  They  have  been 
talking  for  nearly  an  hour." 

John  Peters  looked  thoughtfully  across  at  the  two  men. 
"Let  me  take  you  to  your  aunt,  Grace,"  he  said.  "I 
should  like  to  go  and  join  in  that  conversation.  It  looks  as 
though  it  might  be  interesting." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

THE  following  morning  most  of  the  newspapers  pub- 
lished in  Varia  contained  an  item  of  news  which  a 
good  many  people  found  somewhat  surprising.  Madame 
de  Sayers  threw  her  paper  impatiently  from  her  with  a 
little  exclamation  of  anger. 

"I  never  heard  anything  so  wicked,"  she  declared. 
"One  could  scarcely  believe  that  he  would  be  such  a 
coward." 

"Of  whom  are  you  talking,  aunt?"  Grace  asked. 

"Of  the  crown  prince,  my  dear." 

Grace  flinched  for  a  moment,  and  looked  up  with  startled 
eyes.  "What  has  he  done?"  she  demanded. 

"Stolen  off  to  Paris  to  escape  from  this  trouble," 
Madame  de  Sayers  answered  contemptuously.  "Why, 
the  old  king  has  twice  his  pluck,  after  all.  He  does  n't 
mean  to  turn  out  until  he  is  forced  out." 

"I  think,"  Grace  said  quietly,  "that  there  must  be  some 
mistake.  I  talked  with  the  prince  last  night,  and  he  did 
not  say  a  word  about  leaving  Varia." 

"Nevertheless  he  has  gone,"  Madame  De  Sayers  said 
dryly.  "You  will  find  it  in  all  the  papers.  To-night  I 

252 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  253 

suppose  he  will  be  holding  one  of  his  usual  revels  up  in  the 
Montmartre.  Upon  my  word,  royalist  though  I  am,  I 
scarcely  wonder  at  the  people  being  democrats." 

Bernhardt,  too,  heard  the  news,  and  he  drove  at  once  to 
the  palace.  The  king  received  him,  but  he  was  obviously 
in  an  irritable  temper. 

"I  know  nothing  about  John,"  he  declared,  "except 
that  if  he  has  really  gone  and  left  me  here  to  see  this  thing 
through  alone  I  shall  never  want  to  see  him  back  again, 
however  things  go." 

"You  don't  know  why  he  went?"  Bernhardt  asked. 

"I  have  no  idea,"  the  king  answered,  "unless  it  was 
that  he  found  the  climate  of  Varia  becoming  a  little  too 
sultry.  I  am  disappointed.  I  never  thought  he  was  a 
coward." 

"Nor  do  I  now,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "but  I  should 
very  much  like  to  know  what  he  has  gone  to  Paris  for." 

The  Prince  de  Suess  arrived  soon,  speeding  in  his 
fastest  motor-car,  and  praying  for  an  instant  interview 
with  the  king.  Bernhardt  took  his  departure. 

"Your  Majesty,"  the  German  ambassador  said,  "we  do 
not  understand  this  sudden  journey  of  the  crown  prince's. 
We  are  told  that  he  has  gone  to  Paris.  Will  you  forgive 
me  if  I  ask  whether  this  is  the  truth,  and  if  it  is  the 
truth,  whether  his  visit  there  has  any  political  sig- 
nificance?" 


254  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"You  all  know  more  about  my  nephew  than  I  do  my- 
self," the  king  answered  pettishly.  "I  saw  him  last  night, 
and  he  never  told  me  that  he  was  going.  As  he  left  with- 
out even  saying  farewell,  I  think  you  may  take  it  for 
granted  that  his  visit  anywhere  could  have  no  political 
significance.  At  the  same  time  it  puts  me  in  a  very 
awkward  position." 

"Your  Majesty's  assurance,"  the  ambassador  said,  "is 
gratifying.  At  the  same  time  I  am  sorry  that  the  crown 
prince  should  have  left  us  just  now.  If  he  was  uneasy 
because  of  the  troubles  that  are  threatening,  I  think  that 
you  and  I  together  could  have  reassured  him." 

"I  wish  I  felt  as  confident,"  the  king  said  anxiously. 
"After  all,  you  know,  it 's  going  to  take  your  men  four  or 
five  hours  to  reach  the  city,  and  a  good  deal  can  be  done 
in  that  time  by  a  mob  well  led." 

'•'  They  shall  arrive  in  time,"  the  Prince  de  Suess  said. 
"I  myself  will  take  care  of  that,  but  I  can't  help  wishing 
that  the  crown  prince  had  not  gone  to  Paris.  By  the  by, 
did  you  notice  that  the  King  and  Queen  of  England  are 
also  there  incognito  ?  They  left  London  quite  unexpect- 
edly yesterday  morning." 

"I  have  not  read  the  papers,"  the  king  answered,  "but 
you  are  not  presuming,  I  suppose,  that  there  is  any  connec- 
tion between  the  crown  prince's  journey  to  Paris  and 
the  arrival  there  of  the  King  and  Queen  of  England?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  255 

"Personally,  I  am  sure  of  it,"  the  prince  answered. 
"At  the  same  time  I  do  not  think  my  master  will  care  to 
read  about  this  visit  just  now." 

"  If  your  master  knew  my  nephew  as  well  as  I  do,"  the 
king  answered,  "he  would  be  spared  any  uneasiness 
he  might  feel." 

The  Prince  de  Suess,  however,  was  still  thoughtful. 
"May  I  inquire  of  your  Majesty,  without  seeming  imperti- 
nent," he  asked,  "whether  he  has  seen  anything  of  Sir 
Charles  Romford  during  the  last  few  days?" 

"Sir  Charles  has  called  here  twice,  and  has  written 
requesting  an  audience,"  the  king  answered.  "I  guessed 
what  it  meant,  however,  and  declined  to  see  him." 

"Your  Majesty  has  acted  with  the  greatest  discretion," 
the  ambassador  said.  "One  cannot  be  too  careful  in 
these  matters.  There  is  really  no  occasion  why  any  one 
of  the  powers  should  object  to  us,  your  nearest  neighbour, 
showing  our  good  will  by  lending  you  a  little  temporary 
aid.  But  you  know  what  insular  jealousy  is,  and,  so  far 
as  regards  France,  we  have  but  to  stretch  ourselves  and  she 
flies  to  arms.  I  noticed  in  the  papers  this  morning  that 
the  Channel  Squadron  has  joined  the  North  Sea  Fleet,  and 
is  cruising  there,  and  there  are  rumours  of  French  troops 
being  moved  up  to  the  frontier.  Of  course  these  things 
may  mean  nothing.  One  can  do  no  more  than  be  pre- 
pared. By  the  by,  does  your  Majesty  know  whether  there 


256  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

has  been  any  friendship  between  your  nephew  and  Sir 

Charles?" 

"Most  unlikely,  I  should  think,"  the  king  answered. 
"Sir  Charles  is  something  of  a  puritan  and  a  good  deal  of 
a  prig,  and  his  worst  enemies  could  not  call  my  nephev7 
either.  I  never  saw  them  together  in  my  life." 

"And  yet,"  the  German  remarked,  with  a  fresh  note  of 
anxiety  in  his  tone,  "I  heard  that  they  were  driving 
together  the  day  before  yesterday  in  the  crown  prince's 
automobile." 

The  king  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  If  you  worry  over 
every  trifle,  my  dear  prince,"  he  said,  "you  will  never  have 
a  happy  moment.  So  far  as  regards  my  nephew,  let  me 
assure  you  once  and  for  all  that  he  is  at  heart  an  idle, 
dissolute  rascal,  and  his  journey  to  Paris  has  no  more  to 
do  with  the  political  situation  here  than  my  lighting  this 
cigarette." 

The  Prince  de  Suess  bowed  low.  "Your  Majesty  is 
reassuring,"  he  declared,  and  took  his  leave. 

Baron  Bernhardt  went  that  afternoon  to  pay  his  respects 
to  Madame  de  Sayers,  and  at  the  first  opportunity  sat  down 
beside  Grace.  By  daylight  she  was  certainly  as  beautiful 
as  he  had  expected  to  see  her,  but  her  cheeks  were  pale, 
and  there  were  very  faint  velvet  lines  underneath  her  eyes. 

"So,"  he  remarked  carelessly,  "the  breaking  up  here 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  257 

has  commenced.  After  the  other  night  I  was  inclined  to 
give  the  crown  prince  credit  for  more  pluck." 

"You  think,  then,"  she  asked,  "  that  his  journey  to  Paris 
means  flight?" 

Bernhardt  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "What  else  can  one 
think,  my  dear  young  lady?"  he  said.  "If  a  journey  to 
Paris  within  two  days  of  our  great  crisis  here  is  not  flight, 
what  is  it?" 

She  looked  steadily  away  from  him  for  several  moments. 
"Of  course,"  she  said,  "I  am  almost  a  stranger  here,  and 
I  know  nothing  about  the  matter  at  all,  but  I  wondered 
for  the  moment  whether  he  had  not  gone  there  with  some 
political  scheme  in  his  mind." 

Bernhardt  shook  his  head.  "  Has  he  ever  said  anything 
to  you,"  he  asked  simply,  "which  would  lead  you  to 
suppose  that  he  had  any  idea  of  undertaking  such  a 
journey?" 

Grace  looked  at  him  coldly.  "You  could  scarcely 
expect  me,"  she  said,  "considering  the  length  of  our 
acquaintance,  to  be  in  the  crown  prince's  confidence." 

Bernhardt  took  his  leave  a  few  minutes  afterward. 
He  had  found  out  quite  as  much  as  he  expected.  The 
girl  was  hurt  by  this  sudden  flight  of  the  crown  prince,  and 
she  had  not  the  least  intention  of  discussing  it  with  him 
or  anybody  else.  If  she  knew  anything  it  was  her  own 
secret,  but  it  was  very  certain  that  his  disappearance  was 


258  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

as  much  a  surprise  to  her  as  to  any  of  the  others.     He  went 

back  to  his  office  and  called  a  subordinate. 

"Put  me  on  the  long-distance  telephone  to  Paris,"  he 
ordered.  "I  want  to  speak  to  Ricorde." 

There  was  half  an  hour's  delay,  during  which  Bernhardt 
studied  carefully  a  pile  of  papers  which  lay  on  the  desk 
before  him.  Then  there  came  a  tinkle  of  the  telephone  bell 
close  to  his  elbow. 

"You  are  through  to  Paris,  sir,"  his  subordinate  told 
him. 

Bernhardt  held  the  receiver  to  his  ear  and  waited. 
Presently  he  heard  a  familiar  voice: 

"This  is  Ricorde.     Who  wants  me?" 

"Bernhardt.     Did  you  get  my  first  message?" 

"Yes." 

"Your  man  met  the  train  at  the  Gare  du  Nord ?" 

"Yes." 

"Where  did  our  friend  go?" 

"To  the  Hotel  Ritz,"  the  voice  answered.  "He  stayed 
there  for  half  an  hour  only,  and  then  went  into  the  Cafe 
de  Paris  for  lunch." 

Bernhardt  smiled.  This  was  not  very  much  like  serious 
business,  he  thought.  "Did  he  send  any  notes  from  the 
hotel?"  he  asked. 

"One,"  the  voice  answered. 

"To  whom  was  it  addressed?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  259 

"  George  Harringdon,  at  the  British  embassy." 
Bernhardt  nearly  dropped  the  receiver.     "The  King 
of  England  is  there,  is  he  not?"  he  asked. 
"Yes." 

"Your  man  is  still  following  our  friend,  I  suppose?" 
"Certainly,  but  he  left  for  lunch  only  an  hour  ago. 
There  has  been  no  further  report  since." 

"Pass  them  through  to  me  as  you  get  them,"  Bernhardt 
ordered.  "This  is  important." 

He  rang  off,  and  remained  for  a  few  moments  deep  in 
thought.  Then  he  rose  from  his  seat  and  from  a  drawer 
on  the  other  side  of  the  table  he  took  out  half  a  dozen 
photographs,  all  of  the  crown  prince,  in  different  attitudes. 
Then  he  laid  a  small  coin  upon  the  face  of  each,  and 
studied  them  carefully,  taking  note  of  the  different  atti- 
tudes, the  droop  of  the  hands,  the  carriage  of  the  head 
whose  features  were  hidden.  He  rose  to  his  feet  and 
walked  to  the  window. 

"If  this  should  be  true!"  he  muttered.  "In  a  way  it 
is  not  impossible,  and  yet,  let  me  think.  Yes,  the  supper- 
party  in  Paris,  which  the  papers  pilloried,  took  place  on 
exactly  the  same  date  as  we  knew  for  certain  that  the 
Watcher  presided  over  one  of  the  meetings  here.  The 
same  man  could  not  be  in  Paris  and  in  Varia  the  same 

evening,  and  yet  I  believe " 

He  stopped  short,  and  swept  the  photographs  back  into 


260  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

the  drawer.  He  composed  himself  to  work  again  for  half 
an  hour.  Then  there  came  again  the  tinkle  of  the  tele- 
phone bell  at  his  elbow. 

"Is  that  Bernhardt?"  the  voice  asked. 

"Yes,"  Bernhardt  answered. 

"Can  you  recognize  who  I  am?" 

Bernhardt  knew  at  once  that  this  was  not  Ricorde.  He 
became  deeply  interested.  "  I  neither  know  who  you  are," 
he  said,  "nor  where  you  are  speaking  from." 

"Well,  I  will  tell  you,"  the  voice  answered.  "I  am 
John  Valentine,  Prince  of  Varia,  and  I  want  to  know  what 
the  devil  you  mean  by  having  me  followed  around  Paris 
by  your  infernal  spies  ?" 

"And  I  want  to  know,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "what  the 
devil  you  mean  by  running  away  just  before  the  fight,  and 
leaving  us  to  see  it  through  without  you!" 

There  was  an  instant's  silence.  One  could  fancy  that 
the  man  at  the  distant  end  of  the  telephone  stood  there 
smiling  at  these  words. 

"My  coming  or  my  staying,"  the  voice  remarked,  "is 
my  own  affair.  Varia  is  neither  the  richer  nor  the  poorer; 
but  I  do  object  to  this  surveillance,  especially  now  I  am  in 
another  country.  I  want  to  warn  you  that  if  I  can 
get  my  hands  on  your  man,  I  shall  thrash  him  within 
an  inch  of  his  life." 

"If  he  is  fool  enough,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "to  let 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  261 

you  catch  him,  you  can  do  what  you  like  with  him.  By  the 
by,  will  you  answer  me  a  question?" 

"One,"  the  voice  answered.     "Be  quick!" 

"What  was  in  that  note  you  sent  to  the  English  Embassy 
this  morning?" 

"It  contained,"  the  voice  answered,  "an  invitation  to 
luncheon." 

"The  invitation  was  accepted?"  Bernhardt  asked. 

"Naturally,"  the  voice  answered. 

"Let  it  go  at  that." 

"Is  there  any  fresh  news  in  Varia?" 

"None,"  Bernhardt  answered.  "When  are  you  com- 
ing back?" 

"That  depends,"  the  voice  answered,  "on  a  good 
many  things." 

"Your  luncheon  party  was  a  success?" 

"That,  too,  depends,"  the  voice  replied,  "on  a  good 
many  things.  Remember  what  I  have  told  you.  I  have 
had  eneugh  of  being  spied  upon  and  watched  wherever 
I  go,  and  then  being  told  that  it  is  for  my  own  good.  If 
I  catch  hold  of  your  man  I  shall  break  his  head." 

"There  is  one  thing  more  I  want  to  ask  you,"  Bernhardt 
began.  "Hang  it,  don't  disconnect  us!"  he  shouted,  but 
he  was  too  late.  The  person  at  the  other  end  of  the  line 
had  rung  off. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

DO  I  understand,  Prince,  that  you  have  come  to  Paris 
purposely  to  see  me?" 

"To  see  you,  sir,  and  Monsieur  Fayes,"  John  Peters 
answered.  "The  situation,  which  I  have  tried  to  make 
clear  to  you,  seemed  to  me  a  sufficiently  serious  reason  for 
my  coming.  Unless  something  is  done  within  a  week, 
Germany  will  practically  have  established  a  protectorate 
over  my  country.  It  is  for  you  others,  who  are  interested  in 
retaining  at  its  normal  position  the  balance  of  power  in 
Europe,  to  say  whether  it  is  wise  to  allow  one  country,  in 
so  short  a  time,  and  with  practically  no  expenditure  of 
arms  or  wealth,  to  increase  her  resources  so  vastly." 

The  personage  whom  John  Peters  was  addressing 
with  such  marked  respect  leaned  a  little  forward  in  his 
easy  chair. 

"You  appear  to  me,**  he  said,  "to  accept,  so  far  as 
you  personally  are  concerned,  the  loss  of  your  pros- 
pective kingdom  without  a  complaint.  You,  I  understand, 
do  not  wish  for  help  from  any  one  to  enable  you  to  retain 
the  monarchy?  You  prefer  to  let  things  take  their 
course?" 

262 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  263 

"I  do,  sir,"  John  Peters  answered.  "Bergeland  has 
been  the  most  misgoverned  country  in  Europe  for  many 
years.  Nothing  but  her  splendid  resources  and  the 
indomitable  spirit  of  her  people  have  kept  her  in  the  fore- 
front of  the  smaller  nations.  But  now  the  people  are 
thoroughly  aroused.  -The  result  of  our  election  shows 
clearly  what  they  want,  and  what  they  want  I  think  they 
have  a  right  to  possess.  Personally,  I  am  content  to  let 
the  republic  come,  and  I  believe  that  under  its  rule  Berge- 
land will  increase  as  no  other  country  in  Europe  has 
increased  for  generations.  All  that  I  am  here  to  ask  for  is 
that  something  be  done  —  and  you,  sir,  can  do  it  —  to 
nullify  my  uncle's  unfortunate  mistake." 

The  personage  drummed  idly  with  his  fingers  upon  the 
arm  of  his  easy  chair,  and  looked  across  at  their  third 
companion.  "You  hear  what  the  prince  says,  Monsieur 
Fayes,"  he  said.  "Have  you  anything  to  suggest?" 

Monsieur  Fayes  was  deliberate  but  unhesitating. 
"Sir,"  he  said,  "if  war  there  must  be,  there  has  never 
been  a  cause  more  worthy  of  it.  You  ask  me  now  for  my 
personal  feeling,  and  therefore  I  speak,  not  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  French  nation,  but  as  I  shall  speak 
to  my  government  within  the  next  few  hours.  I  say  that 
under  no  circumstances  should  we  permit  a  single  German 
regiment  to  cross  the  frontier  of  Bergeland.  We  must 
not  content  ourselves  with  idle  protests.  Your  warships 


264  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

must  command  the  North  Sea,  and  our  troops  must  be 
rushed  toward  the  southern  frontier.  Our  ultimatum  must 
be  definite  and  final.  \Ve  will  not  have  German  influence 
over  Bergeland." 

"I  am  inclined,  Monsieur  Fayes,"  the  personage  said, 
"to  agree  with  you.  I  am  inclined,  also,  to  agree  with  our 
friend  here,  though  of  course  we  must  both  sympathize 
deeply  with  him.  I  believe  that  the  people  of  a  country 
have  a  right  to  declare  how  they  shall  be  governed,  and  if 
the  people  have  sent  a  great  majority  to  Parliament  to  say 
that  theirs  shall  be  a  republic,  then  I  do  not  see  how  any 
foreign  nation  has  a  right  to  intervene  for  one  moment  with 
a  view  to  opposing  the  will  of  that  people." 

John  Peters  rose  to  his  feet.  "Then  my  mission  is 
ended,  sir,"  he  said.  "I  have  lost  a  day  here  already 
through  finding  you  in  the  country.  I  have  a  special  train 
waiting  at  the  Gare  du  Nord,  and  if  you  will  allow  me  to 
take  my  leave  I  shall  be  glad." 

The  personage  looked  at  him  a  little  curiously.  "You 
are  going  back  to  Varia?"  he  asked. 

"By  all  means,"  John  Peters  answered.  "I  hope  to 
arrive  there  some  time  to-night." 

"Is  there  any  particular  object  in  your  return?"  the 
personage  asked.  "You  must  remember  that  changes  of 
such  magnitude  as  are  now  impending  in  your  country  are 
not  conducted  without  a  certain  amount  of  danger  to  people 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  265 

in  your  position.  You  can  do  no  good  there,  I  imagine. 
Don't  you  think  it  would  be  wiser  to  anticipate  your 
exile?" 

John  Peters  smiled.  "Sir,"  he  said,  "you  yourself 
would  not,  I  know,  dream  of  being  absent  from  your 
country  at  such  a  crisis,  even  if  your  being  there  entailed 
a  small  amount  of  personal  risk.  As  it  is,  I  suspect  I 
have  been  jeered  at  by  every  paper  in  the  country.  They 
probably  imagine  that  I  have  fled  in  fear  of  my  life,  and  I 
have  not  been  at  any  time  a  popular  person  in  Varia. 
No,  I  must  go  back  and  face  the  end,  whatever  it  may  be." 

"You  are  right,  without  a  doubt,  Prince,"  the  person- 
age answered,  holding  out  his  hand.  "  I  wish  you  the  best 
of  fortune,  and  if  the  worst  happens,  remember  that  there 
are  more  unpleasant  countries  in  the  world  than  England 
for  a  man  who  has  your  love  of  sport." 

"  I  shall  not  forget  it,  sir,"  John  Peters  answered. 

"I  might  also  suggest,"  Monsieur  Fayes  said,  smiling, 
"  that  my  own  city  has  claims  for  your  favourable  notice, 
but  I  fancy  there  is  little  I  could  tell  you  about  that  which 
you  do  not  know." 

John  Peters  bowed  low  to  hide  his  smile,  and  hurried 
away.  A  motor-car  was  waiting  for  him  outside.  He  sprang 
in  and  was  driven  rapidly  to  the  Gare  du  Nord.  In  less 
than  twenty  minutes  the  special  train,  with  a  fourteen 
hours'  run  before  it,  was  steaming  rapidly  northward. 


266  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

Varia  was  curiously  gay  on  those  few  nights  before  the 
storm,  as  though  in  defiance  of  the  growing  political 
disturbance  which  throbbed  throughout  the  city.  The 
doors  of  the  palace  were  thrown  open  for  a  great  reception, 
while  the  special  train  which  carried  John  Peters  was  still 
flying  northward.  All  Varia  seemed  to  be  there,  every 
one  anxious  to  talk  to  every  one  else,  to  exchange  rumours, 
to  hear  the  very  latest  news.  Only  once  during  the  even- 
ing did  the  Prince  de  Suess  leave  his  place  by  the  king's 
side,  and  that  was  when  he  sought  out  Grace  Pellisier,  and 
begged  her  to  honour  him  with  a  turn  in  the  winter- 
gardens. 

"And  do  you,  too,  Miss  Pellisier,"  he  asked,  "feel 
like  these  others,  that  this  is  the  calm  before  the  great 
storm,  or  perhaps  you,  like  me,  think  that  some  of  us  are 
inclined  to  exaggerate  the  gravity  of  the  political 
situation?" 

"I  know  nothing  whatever  about  it,"  Grace  answered. 
"I  am  a  stranger  in  this  country." 

"But  you  are  a  native  of  Varia?"  he  asked. 

"My  mother  was,"  she  answered,  "but  I  have  lived  all 
my  life  in  America  and  England." 

"I  have  seen  you  talking  with  the  crown  prince,"  he 
remarked.  "People  here  seem  to  think  his  flight  some- 
what extraordinary." 

"His  what?"  she  asked. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  267 

"His  flight,  I  said,"  was  the  reply.  "Perhaps  you  are 
among  those  who  believe  that  he  will  come  back?" 

Then  it  occurred  to  her  that  this  man  had  some  reason 
for  seeking  her  out.  He  looked  to  her  like  the  sort  of  man 
who  would  have  a  reason  for  everything  he  did.  The 
indignant  words  which  had  trembled  upon  her  lips 
remained  unspoken. 

"Really,"  she  said,  "I  have  seen  so  little  of  the  crown 
prince  that  I  could  not  tell  what  he  would  be  likely  to  do 
under  any  circumstances.  At  the  palace  the  other  night 
he  did  not  seem  to  be  the  sort  of  man  to  run  away  from 
anything." 

"  He  is  no  coward,"  the  ambassador  said.  "  I  imagine 
that  if  he  has  gone  for  good  it  is  because  he  is  a 
sensible  fellow,  and  he  thinks  that  a  week's  holiday  in 
Paris  will  be  better  than  an  exceedingly  unpleasant, 
not  to  say  dangerous,  week  here.  All  the  same, 
I  am  not  one  of  those  who  believe  in  this  coming 
revolution." 

"You  think  that  it  will  be  checked,"  she  asked,  "by  the 
army,  perhaps?" 

He  smiled  coldly.  "I  am  afraid,"  he  said,  "that  the 
army  alone  is  scarcely  a  factor  in  the  situation.  It  seems 
to  me  one  of  those  times  when  if  a  nation  has  friends  they 
must  assert  themselves." 

She  stifled  an  imaginary  yawn.     "Ah!"  she  said,  "if 


268  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

only  I  knew  something  about  politics  I  am  sure  I  should 

find  them  most  interesting." 

He  took  the  hint,  and  at  once  offered  his  arm.  They 
moved  between  the  palms  toward  the  great  hall  in  which 
the  reception  was  held,  arid  from  which  the  ballroom  led, 
and,  face  to  face  with  them,  coming  down  the  room,  walk- 
ing more  than  usually  erect,  and  gorgeous  in  the  wonder- 
ful uniform  of  the  Bergeland  Guards,  met  the  one  man 
whom  they  least  expected  to  see,  John  Peters! 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE  Prince  de  Suess,  hardened  diplomat  though  he 
was,  for  once  betrayed  his  astonishment.  He 
stopped  short  and  stared  open-eyed  at  the  approaching 
man.  The  change  in  Grace,  however,  was  still  more 
marked.  Her  pallor  disappeared  as  though  by  magic. 
She  held  herself  more  erect,  as  though  suddenly  her  self- 
respect  had  been  mysteriously  and  delightfully  reinforced, 
and  the  welcome  which  flashed  for  a  moment  from  her  eyes 
was  so  wonderful  a  thing  that,  had  any  other  seen  it  save 
him  for  whom  it  was  intended,  her  secret  must  surely  have 
been  known. 

"Ah!"  John  Peters  exclaimed,  bowing  low  and  taking 
her  hands,  "  I  have  been  looking  for  you.  Glad  to  see  you. 
Prince.  It  is  a  relief  to  find  that  we  are  still  in  a  position 
to  dispense  hospitalities  to  our  friends." 

The  German  bowed  a  little  stiffly.  "Prince,"  he 
said,  "permit  me  to  welcome  you  home  again.  Your 
journey  has  been  a  rapid  one,  but  I  trust  none  the  less 
pleasant." 

John  Peters  nodded  carelessly.  "Ah!"  he  said, 
"all  the  world  seems  to  know  that  I  have  been  over 

269 


270  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

to  Paris  for  a  few  hours.     That   is   the  worst  of  this 

modern  press." 

"The  weather  there  was,  I  trust,  agreeable?"  De  Suess 
asked  politely. 

"Cold  but  dry,"  John  Peters  answered.  "I  found  it 
pleasant  enough.  I  had  so  many  small  things  to  attend 
to,  and  such  a  very  little  time  to  give  to  them,  that  I  cer- 
tainly had  no  leisure  to  feel  cold." 

"Paris,"  De  Suess  remarked,  "is  gay  these  days." 

"Paris,"  John  Peters  replied,  "is  always  that." 

"You  were  fortunate  enough  to  see  something  of  his 
Majesty,  the  King  of  England?"  De  Suess  asked 
carelessly. 

"I  could  scarcely  leave  the  city  without  paying  my 
respects,"  John  Peters  said.  "  Come,  Miss  Pellisier,  don't 
tell  me  that  you  have  had  supper.  I  arrived  an  hour  ago, 
and  I  am  starving.  May  I  not  have  the  honour?  De 
Suess  will  forgive  us,  I  am  sure." 

The  German  bowed  stiffly  and  turned  away.  He 
hurried  to  the  king.  "Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "the 
crown  prince  has  returned!" 

"What  of  it?"  the  king  asked  irritably.  "Everyone 
comes  worrying  me  about  John.  First  of  all  they  were 
amazed  because  he  went  away,  and  now  they  are  astonished 
because  he  has  come  back.  I  myself  do  not  care  one  pin 
whether  he  is  here  or  there,  only  I  know  very  well  that  if  I 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  271 

were  in  his  shoes,  and  had  breakfasted  in  Paris  this  morn- 
ing, it  would  have  taken  a  good  deal  to  induce  me  to  sup 
here  to-night." 

"That  is  all  very  well,  your  Majesty,"  De  Suess  said, 
"but  I  do  not  understand  this  visit  of  the  crown  prince's. 
I  do  not  understand  what  he  went  for.  Listen,  I  do  not 
think  any  of  us  understands  the  crown  prince  himself." 

"You  think  he  is  plotting  for  the  throne?"  the  king 
asked,  looking  up  with  narrowing  eyes. 

"No,  I  do  not  think  that,"  the  German  answered,  "but 
I  do  believe  that  he  is  plotting  for  something.  The  King 
of  England  is  in  Paris,  the  one  man  whom  we  must  take 
by  surprise  when  we  rush  our  troops  here  to  your  aid. 
The  crown  prince  went  to  see  him,  I  am  sure.  What 
for?  What  did  he  tell  him?" 

The  king  was  now  himself  alarmed.  "  My  dear  prince," 
he  said,  "you  do  not  for  a  moment  believe  that  anyone 
would  interfere  to  prevent  your  lending  me  your  help? 
Why,  without  you  I  believe  they  would  butcher  me  in  the 
palace.  I  am  relying  upon  your  rushing  your  troops  up  to 
the  city." 

"Your  Majesty,"  De  Suess  said,  "that  was  the  arrange- 
ment we  made.  My  master  is  willing  enough  to  save 
your  country  for  you.  It  is  simply  a  matter  of  exercising 
an  army  corps,  no  more;  but  there  always  was  one  danger. 
When  England  and  France  whisper  together,  they  see 


272  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

things  in  the  air  which  exist  nowhere  but  in  their  imagina- 
tions, and  it  is  always  round  Germany  and  about  Germany 
that  they  have  their  foolish  dreams.  France  and  England 
are  together  at  this  moment,  whispering.  It  seems  to  me 
that  uncomfortable  things  may  come  of  it." 

"You  cannot  mean,"  the  king  said,  "that  they  would 
interfere  to  prevent  your  helping  me?" 

"I  think  it  more  than  probable,"  the  German  answered. 
"I  think  that  if  this  wonderful  nephew  of  yours  has  been 
thrusting  his  clumsy  finger  into  the  pie,  he  may  have 
undone  all  the  good  work  which  you  and  I  have  built  up. 
Send  for  him,  your  Majesty,  at  once.  It  is  necessary  that 
we  should  know  exactly  how  we  stand.  Remember  that 
to-morrow  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  we  are  to  seize  the  rail- 
way lines,  so  as  to  rush  our  men  into  the  capital." 

"I  will  send  for  him,"  the  king  answered.  "There  is 
Bernhardt,  there.  He  shall  go.  Bernhardt,  have  you 
heard  that  the  crown  prince  has  returned  ?  " 

Bernhardt  bowed  low.  He  alone,  perhaps,  in  Varia, 
had  known  when  that  special  train  left  the  Gare  du  Nord. 
"  Yes,  I  knew,  your  Majesty,"  he  answered.  "  He  is  in  the 
supper-room  now  with  the  niece  of  Madame  de  Sayers." 

"Fetch  him  for  me,"  the  king  demanded.  "De  Suess 
and  I  will  be  in  my  room.  Tell  him  to  come  at  once." 

Bernhardt  bowed,  and  hurried  away  to  execute  his 
mission. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  273 

The  supper-room  was  crowded,  but  everyone  fell  back 
before  the  crown  prince  and  his  companion.  They 
passed  beyond  into  the  reserved  suite  of  rooms,  and  seated 
themselves  before  a  small  table.  For  the  first  few  minutes 
they  were  surrounded  by  waiters,  and  John  Peters  did  not 
hesitate  to  prove  himself  what  he  declared  he  was,  a  starv- 
ing man.  When  everything  was  served,  however,  he 
whispered  to  a  groom  of  the  chambers,  and  the  waiters 
melted  away  as  though  by  magic. 

"Well,"  he  asked,  looking  at  her  with  a  smile,  "did  you 
think  that  I  had  run  away?" 

"Not  I!"  she  answered  proudly.  "But  tell  me,  why 
did  you  go  without  a  word  ?" 

"I  went,"  he  answered,  "on  a  moment's  impulse, 
because  I  felt  that  it  was  the  best,  and  indeed  the  only  thing 
to  do.  Don't  ask  me  many  questions.  I  think  that  in 
these  days  the  less  one  knows  the  better.  But  I  may  tell 
you  this,  that  I  believe  my  visit  was  successful,  and  will 
undo  a  great  deal  of  the  mischief  which  this  wretched  plot- 
ting between  my  uncle  and  De  Suess  has  brought  about." 

"De  Suess,"  she  told  him,  "is  very  uncomfortable.  He 
has  been  trying  to  pump  me." 

John  Peters  smiled,  as  he  attacked  a  dish  of  chicken 
mayonnaise.  "I  know  exactly  what  is  happening,"  he 
said.  "As  soon  as  we  left  him  he  rushed  off  to  my  uncle. 
In  a  minute  or  two's  time  a  messenger  will  come  to  say  that 


274  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

my  uncle  desires  my  immediate  presence,  and  then  the  fat 
will  be  in  the  fire." 

"Shall  you  tell  them  everything?"  she  asked. 

"  I  think  not,"  he  answered.  "  On  the  other  hand,  I  am 
not  at  all  sure  that  the  entire  truth  would  not  be  best. 
However,  I  think  I  shall  trust  to  inspiration.  Grace,  you 
are  eating  nothing." 

"I  am  looking  at  you,"  she  answered;  "it  is  so  good  to 
have  you  back  again." 

He  laughed  quietly.  "I  am  one  of  the  sort  of  men," 
he  said,  "who  don't  get  lost.  I  have  a  knack  of  turning 
up  again.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  am  even  rash  enough  to 
believe  that  I  shall  be  eating  supper  to-morrow  night  also, 
although  I  believe  half  the  inhabitants  of  Varia 
doubt  it." 

She  shuddered.  "It  is  horrible,"  she  said,  "to  think 
that  there  really  is  danger.  After  all,  I  am  not  sure  that 
I  do  not  wish  you  had  stayed  away." 

"I  can't  believe  that,"  he  declared.  "If  I  did  you 
would  not  be  the  Grace  who  found  her  way  so  quickly  into 
my  heart." 

"I  suppose  not,"  she  admitted,  "and  yet,  when  it  comes 
to  a  real  struggle  between  a  question  of  honour  and  the 
safety  of  the  person  you  love  —  well,  it  is  a  pull,  is  n't  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  when  one  only  thinks  about  it,"  he  answered,  "  but 
when  the  time  comes  and  the  circumstances  occur,  one 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  275 

generally,  I  think,  chooses  the  right.  Inspiration  is  such 
a  divine  gift.  See,  this  is  exactly  what  I  expected." 

It  was  Bernhardt  who  stood  before  them,  ushered  in  by 
the  protesting  groom  of  the  chambers.  "Prince,"  he  said, 
"  I  am  sorry  indeed  to  intrude,  but  his  Majesty  desires  your 
immediate  presence  in  his  room." 

John  Peters  nodded.  "His  Majesty,  I  presume,"  he 
said,  "is  closeted  with  the  Prince  de  Suess?" 

"The  Prince  de  Suess  was  certainly  with  him,"  Bern- 
hardt admitted,  "when  I  came  away." 

John  Peters  looked  round  the  table  with  a  sigh  of  regret. 
"And  I  was  so  hungry  I"  he  declared. 

Grace  laughed  softly.  "I  don't  think,"  she  said,  "that 
I  shall  sympathize  very  much  with  you.  Considering 
that  we  have  been  here  only  a  few  minutes,  I  think  you 
have  managed  fairly  well." 

He  rose  to  his  feet.  "  Let  me  take  you  back  to  Madame 
de  Sayers,"  he  said,  "  or  shall  I  leave  you  with  Bernhardt  ?  " 

"If  Miss  Pellisier  will  honour  me,"  Bernhardt  said, 
offering  his  arm. 

She  hesitated  a  moment  and  then  accepted  it.  John 
Peters  buckled  on  his  sword  and  walked  out  of  the  room. 
Bernhardt  watched  him  with  a  curious  light  in  his  eyes  and 
a  curious  parting  of  the  lips. 

"I  think,"  he  said,  "that  our  friend  is  going  to  have 
a  very  interesting  quarter  of  an  hour." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE  small  retiring-room  in  which  the  king  and  De 
Suess  were  impatiently  awaiting  the  crown  prince 
was  practically  only  a  recess  curtained  off  from  the  larger 
apartment.  When  John  Peters  lifted  the  curtains,  he 
brought  with  him  the  soft  flow  of  the  music,  and  the  mur- 
mur of  conversation  from  a  hundred  tongues. 

"You  wish  to  speak  to  me  ?"  he  said,  looking  at  the  king. 

"I  do,"  the  king  answered  sharply.  "We  have  some 
questions  to  ask  you,  De  Suess  and  I." 

John  Peters  looked  at  De  Suess  as  though  for  the  first 
time  aware  of  his  presence.  "Very  well,"  he  said,  "I  am 
here  and  at  your  service.  May  I  smoke?  I  have  had 
a  long  journey.  I  had  no  time  in  Paris  to  buy  cigarettes." 

"It  is  about  that  visit  of  yours  to  Paris,"  the  king  said, 
"that  we  wish  to  talk." 

De  Suess  intervened.  "Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "the 
questions  which  you  wish  to  put  to  his  Royal  Highness  are 
of  a  somewhat  intimate  nature.  Would  it  not  be  well  if  we 
chose  a  more  retired  spot?" 

"We  will  go  into  the  library,"  the  king  said.  "Come 
this  way,  both  of  you." 

276 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  277 

They  left  the  room  and  passed  down  a  long  corridor, 
close  to  the  spot  where  scaffolding  and  screens  still  hid  the 
partly  repaired  breach  in  the  walls.  The  library  itself 
was  apart  from  the  large  reception-room,  and  was  almost 
in  darkness.  A  servant  turned  on  the  electric  lights,  and 
was  immediately  dismissed.  The  king  closed  the  door, 
and  the  three  men  walked  toward  the  table,  at  which  was 
placed  the  king's  favourite  easy  chair.  He  did  not  wait  to 
sit  down,  however,  but  turned  at  once  upon  his  nephew. 

"Now,  sir,"  he  said,  "I  will  tell  you  why  we  have  sent 
for  you.  We  want  to  understand  exactly  the  reason  for 
your  journey  to  Paris." 

John  Peters  was  standing  with  his  back  to  the  fireplace 
and  his  face  to  the  curtained  windows.  For  several 
moments  he  made  no  reply,  and  the  longer  they  looked  into 
his  face  the  more  their  fear  increased  that  those  things  at 
which  De  Suess  had  hinted  were  really  true.  The  light 
smile  and  the  indifferent  manner  with  which  John  Peters 
was  wont  to  baffle  questioners  and  to  preserve  his  pose  as 
a  philanderer  were  gone.  He  looked  toward  that  window 
as  though  his  eyes  were  indeed  able  to  see  out  beyond  into 
the  great  city.  He  had  the  air  of  a  man  confronted  with  a 
crisis,  and  engaged  in  the  deliberate  task  of  shaping  in  his 
mind  great  resolutions.  The  lines  in  his  face  no  longer 
had  any  semblance  to  lines  of  dissipation.  It  was  the 
face  of  a  man  of  thought  and  action  into  which  the  king  and 


278  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

De  Suess  were  looking  so  anxiously,  and  his  tone  when  he 
spoke,  firm  and  unwavering,  was  like  the  voice  of  a  man 
of  his  own  mind,  master  of  his  thoughts,  master  of  the 
whole  situation. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "I  see  no  reason  why  I  should  not  tell 
you.  In  a  few  hours"  —  he  glanced  toward  the  great 
clock  which  ticked  slowly  in  the  corner  of  the  room  — 
"Bergeland  will  be  face  to  face  with  its  fate.  You  may 
as  well  know  now  what  you  will  certainly  discover  before 
very  long,  and  so  far  as  you,  sir,  are  concerned,"  he  added, 
turning  to  the  king,  "it  is  perhaps  better  that  you  should 
be  prepared." 

The  king  had  turned  very  pale,  his  eyes  had  narrowed, 
and  his  lips  had  parted,  a  habit  of  his  when  in  fear  or  anger. 
"Go  on,  sir!"  he  commanded. 

John  Peters  bowed.  "I  have  been  to  Paris,"  he  said, 
f  as  you  and  the  Prince  de  Suess  seem  to  have  surmised, 
on  a  mission  concerned  with  the  projected  events  of 
to-morrow.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  have  had  an  interview 
with  the  French  President  and  the  Duke  of  Lancaster." 

The  king  spoke  softly,  but  it  was  the  softness  of  a  man 
who  has  lost  control  of  his  voice.  "  By  what  right,  sir,"  he 
said,  "  have  you  dared  to  interfere  with  my  plans  ?  " 

"I  have  interfered,"  John  Peters  said,  "not  as  crown 
prince,  but  as  a  citizen  of  Bergeland.  You,  sir,  have 
become  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  this  man.  You  have 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  279 

encouraged  him  to  ask  for  aid  from  his  master  toward 
preserving  for  you  the  throne  of  this  country.  If  you  have 
done  this  with  a  view  of  insuring  your  personal  safety,  let 
me  assure  you  of  this  from  my  own  knowledge — that  the 
day  this  country  is  overrun  with  foreign  troops  at  your 
instigation,  that  day  will  most  surely  be  the  day  of  your 
death.  In  seeking  to  destroy  your  plans,  I  am  indirectly 
saving  your  life.  Facts  are  facts.  The  kingdom  of  Berge- 
land  is  lost  to  you  and  to  me  to-morrow.  If  you  play  the 
part  of  a  wise  man  you  can  go,  and  all  Europe  is  open  to 
you;  but  if  the  Germans  once  even  approach  this  city, 
there  is  no  power  on  earth  which  can  save  your  life  or 
mine." 

The  king,  despite  himself,  was  a  little  impressed  by 
words  spoken  with  so  much  conviction,  by  a  person  whom 
he  had  deemed  incapable  of  them.  He  did  not  immedi- 
ately reply.  Not  so,  De  Suess,  however,  who  saw  slipping 
away  from  him  the  great  chance  which  was  to  have  won 
for  him  the  undying  regard  of  his  master. 

"All  that  the  crown  prince  has  said,"  he  declared 
angrily,  "  I  deny.  This  rising  which  you  speak  of  as  being 
so  inevitable  is,  after  all,  but  an  affair  of  the  mob,  easily 
checked  with  a  few  thousand  soldiers  and  a  firm  hand.  If 
you,  sir,"  he  added,  turning  toward  the  crown  prince, 
"are  coward  enough  to  throw  away  your  destiny,  and  to 
abandon  your  country  to  hopeless  misrule,  you  at  least 


280  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

have  not  the  right  to  involve  his  Majesty  here,  who  has 
the  courage  to  face  the  storm,  in  your  paltry  schemes. 
Twenty-four  hours  after  your  Parliament  has  met,  and 
issued,  as  I  presume  it  will  issue,  its  amazing  mandate  to 
the  king,  I  guarantee  that  it  shall  not  only  retract  it,  but 
also  give  an  undertaking  that  nothing  of  the  sort  shall 
happen  in  the  future.  That  twenty-four  hours,  it  is  true, 
may  be  a  time  of  misrule  in  the  city,  but  the  king's  safety 
has  been  my  first  thought.  He  will  take  shelter  at  my 
embassy,  and  I  guarantee  that  not  all  the  rioters  in  this  city 
shall  drag  him  thence." 

John  Peters  smiled.  "  An  edifying  sight,"  he  remarked, 
"to  see  the  King  of  Bergeland  seeking  shelter  from  his 
people  in  a  foreign  embassy !  You  are  deceived,  Prince  de 
Suess,  or  you  deceive  yourself.  This  is  no  rising  of  a  mob 
which  will  take  place  to-morrow;  it  is  the  deliberate  rising 
of  a  great  people,  claiming  their  right  to  be  governed  justly 
and  liberally,  as  we  have  never  governed  them.  I  can 
promise  you,  and  I  know  something  of  the  matter,  that 
they  will  not  be  terrorized  by  a  few  regiments  of  German 
soldiers.  They  will  fight,  if  need  be,  until  these  streets  run 
red  with  blood.  It  is  that  terrible  calamity  which  I  am 
determined  to  prevent." 

"Suppose  you  tell  us,  sir,  how  you  mean  to  intervene  ?" 
the  king  asked,  in  a  low  tone. 

"I  have  laid  the  whole   matter,"  John  Peters   said, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  281 

"before  the  two  persons  whose  names  I  have  mentioned. 
Their  views,  I  am  glad  to  find,  are  mine.  They  are  deter- 
mined not  to  permit  the  intervention  of  your  country,  sir" 
—  turning  toward  De  Suess  —  "with  our  affairs. 
To-night  cables  are  flashing  all  over  Europe.  The 
English  North  Sea  squadron  sails  at  daybreak  with 
sealed  orders,  and  as  I  came  by,  all  the  garrison  towns 
in  the  north  of  France  were  wakened  up  and  busy.  If 
Bergeland  is  worth  the  price,  Prince  de  Suess,  you  may 
still  strike  your  blow,  but  to-morrow  morning  your  master 
will  know  the  cost  of  striking  it.  It  will  be  war  with 
England  and  France." 

There  was  a  prolonged  silence  between  the  three  men. 
Then  De  Suess  moved  toward  the  door  with  a  low  bow. 

"Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  king,  "I  have 
done  my  best  for  you  in  this  time  of  peril,  and  I  was  pre- 
pared to  carry  out  my  word  to  the  uttermost  letter,  and  to 
insure  your  safety.  What  may  happen  now  I  cannot  tell. 
You  must  look  upon  my  pledges  as  for  the  time  retracted. 
It  is  for  my  master  to  say  what  he  will  do.  If  disaster 
comes  to  this  country,  there  is  the  man,"  he  added,  pointing 
to  John  Peters,  "whom  you  will  have  to  thank." 

The  king  had  sunk  into  his  easy  chair.  He  looked  like 
a  man  broken  by  some  unexpected  blow;  even  his  first  fit 
of  anger  had  died  away. 

"For  what  I  have  done,"  John  Peters  said  calmly,  "I 


282  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

am  perfectly  willing  to  take  the  whole  responsibility,  both 
now  and  in  the  future.  If  the  history  of  these  events 
is  ever  written,  it  will,  I  think,  be  plain  enough  that  what 
I  have  done  I  have  done  for  the  good  of  Bergeland.  You, 
sir,"  he  added,  turning  once  more  toward  the  king, 
"have  done  great  things  in  your  life,  whatever  your  his- 
torian may  say  of  your  rule  over  this  people.  You  would 
not  have  it  written  that  when  danger  came  you  sought  to 
save  the  few  years  of  life,  which  are  all  you  can  hope  for? 
by  hiding  from  your  angry  people  in  the  house  of  a  for- 
eigner! Take  my  advice,  sir.  Do  as  I  shall  do.  Stay 
here  and  face  them.  If  any  come  here  with  the  mandate 
of  the  country  behind  them,  to  ask  us  questions,  or  even  to 
tell  us  their  will,  let  us  meet  them  like  men  and  answer  them 
like  men.  Whatever  our  battles  may  be,  let  us  fight  them 
ourselves.  I  presume  that  even  for  your  sake,  sir,  Ger- 
many will  not  run  the  risk  of  war  with  two  powers  as  great 
as  herself." 

De  Suess  looked  back  from  the  threshold.     "That,  sir," 
he  answered,  "remains  to  be  seen." 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE  departure  of  De  Suess  was  followed  almost 
immediately  by  the  arrival  of  the  groom  of  the 
chambers. 

"Your  Majesty,"  he  announced,  "Baron  Bernhardt 
urgently  desires  one  minute's  audience  on  affairs  of  a  seri- 
ous nature." 

The  king  looked  as  though  he  had  not  understood. 
John  Peters  crossed  to  his  side  and  laid  his  hand  upon  his 
shoulder. 

"Sir,"  he  said  kindly,  "I  am  afraid  these  things  have 
upset  you.  Let  me  send  for  Doctor  Reich  to  sit  with  you 
for  a  little  time,  and  allow  me  to  attend  to  anything 
necessary." 

The  king  made  a  little  motion  of  his  head  which  might 
have  signified  assent.  His  nephew  sent  the  servant 
away  with  a  message  for  the  doctor,  and  remained  until  he 
arrived. 

"His  Majesty  is  a  little  tired,"  John  Peters  said  to  the 
doctor.  "  I  think  he  requires  a  stimulant.  Please  remain 
with  him  until  I  return." 

Bernhardt  was  waiting  in  the  corridor  outside.     He 

288 


284  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

drew  John  Peters  to  one  side  and  dropped  his  voice  to  a 
whisper.  "Your  Highness,"  he  said,  "it  is  not  safe  for 
your  guests  to  remain  a  moment  longer.  I  have  reports 
coming  in  every  minute  from  all  over  the  city.  Every- 
where there  is  rioting,  and  though  a  large  number  of  the 
people  seem  to  be  endeavouring  with  might  and  main  to 
establish  order,  yet  in  many  quarters  the  mobs  have  the 
upper  hand.  The  square  outside  is  almost  packed.  A 
torchlight  procession  has  just  gone  by,  singing  some 
infernal  republican  hymn,  and  they  tell  me  that  already 
two  carriages  leaving  here  have  been  stopped.  The  people 
are  panic-stricken.  No  one  knows  what  to  do." 

John  Peters  thought  for  a  moment.  "Come  with  me," 
he  said,  and  led  the  way  to  his  own  private  room.  Here 
he  locked  the  door  and  sat  down  before  the  telephone. 
He  called  for  a  number  and  mentioned  a  name,  at  which 
Bernhardt  looked  up  in  surprise.  An  answer  came  almost 
immediately. 

"  I  am  speaking,"  John  Peters  asked,  "  to  Graimnont  ?  " 
"  Yes,"  came  the  answer.     "  Who  are  you  ?  " 
"Listen,   Grammont,"   John  Peters   continued.     "Do 
you  recognize  my  voice  as  I  am  speaking  to  you  now? 
I  have  sat  within  a  few  feet  of  you  many  a  time,  although 
on  those  occasions  you  have  never  seen  my  face." 

"I  know  who  you  are,"  came  the  faint  answer. 
"Goon!" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  285 

"I  call  upon  you,"  John  Peters  said,  "to  remember  our 
compact.  The  palace  is  full  now  of  guests  who  dare  not 
leave  it  because  the  streets  are  thronged  with  revolution- 
aries. You  have,  I  know,  twenty  thousand  men,  ready 
armed,  and  entrained  for  the  German  frontier.  They  will 
not  be  needed.  I  have  seen  to  that.  Germany  will  not 
move.  You  accept  my  word  in  this  matter?" 

"We  have  never  failed  to  accept  your  word  in  any 
matter,"  was  the  answer. 

"Then  marshal  those  men  yourself,"  John  Peters  said 
firmly.  "Hold  the  streets  from  the  Palace  Place  to  the 
Boulevard  du  Bois,  and  see  that  no  carriage  which  leaves 
the  palace  is  challenged,  and  that  these  people  are  allowed 
to  go  to  their  homes  safely.  You  can  do  this?" 

"Yes,  I  can  do  it,"  came  the  answer.  "In  an  hour's 
time  I  promise  that  the  streets  shall  be  safe." 

"You  are  a  wise  man,  Grammont,"  John  Peters 
answered.  "If  we  do  not  meet  again,  remember  these  last 
words  to  you,  even  though  they  come  from  where  you  do 
not  know.  We  have  the  chance  to  teach  the  world  a  great 
lesson.  Human  life  is  a  thing  as  sacred  as  freedom  itself. 
Try  and  make  the  people  understand  this.  Punish  riot- 
ing or  any  form  of  excess-  the  moment  it  occurs.  Police 
every  street  with  men  on  whom  you  can  rely,  and  whom 
we  shall  not  need  now  for  any  other  purpose.  Remember 
our  motto —  A  bloodless  revolution!'" 


286  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

John  Peters  rose  from  the  telephone.  Bernhardt  was 
looking  at  him  as  a  man  who  sees  a  ghost. 

"  I  know,"  he  cried,  "  I  know  now!    This  is  wonderful! " 

John  Peters  smiled.  "  You  nearly  caught  me  more  than 
once,"  he  said,  "but  I  always  had  luck  on  my  side." 

"But  these  people,  Grammont,  Levitt,  the  professor, 
the  whole  committee,  they  must  have  guessed,"  said 
Bernhardt. 

"Not  once,"  John  Peters  answered.  "It  was  not 
so  difficult.  I  won  my  leadership  with  the  pen,  and  not 
one  of  them  has  ever  seen  my  face  at  any  of  our  meetings. 
My  voice  it  was  easy  enough  to  disguise.  For  the  rest, 
what  supposition  could  have  seemed  so  wild  as  that  I, 
the  crown  prince  of  this  country,  the  man  whom  they 
looked  upon  as  the  prototype  of  all  vice  and  folly,  was 
the  man  who  was  guiding  their  country  toward  freedom  ?  " 

"It  was  magnificent,"  Bernhardt  gasped,  "but 
incredible ! " 

John  Peters  laughed  as  he  laid  his  hand  upon  Bern- 
hardt's  shoulder.  "Nothing  is  incredible,  my  friend," 
he  said.  "The  most  astounding  things  in  the  world  are 
sometimes  brought  about  most  simply." 

"But  your  two  lives?"  Bernhardt  asked.  "Your  life 
in  Paris,  your  adventures  here  ?  They  cannot  have  been 
all  manufactured." 

John  Peters  laughed  softly.    "For  that,  too,  there  is 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  287 

an  explanation,"  he  said.  "Some  day  I  must  tell  you; 
but  now"  —  he  glanced  at  the  clock  —  "we  must  go  and 
talk  to  our  guests." 

The  men  hastened  from  the  room.  Bernhardt  was 
walking  with  uncertain  steps,  like  a  man  who  has  received 
a  shock.  In  front  John  Peters  walked  steadily  and  firmly, 
his  head  in  the  air,  and  a  quiet,  confident  smile  upon  his 
lips.  He  entered  the  reception-room  and  looked  around 
him  in  wonderment.  Quite  half  the  guests  still  remained, 
but  they  were  standing  about  in  little  groups,  talking 
excitedly,  and  the  faces  of  many  of  the  women  were  pale 
with  fright.  The  band  had  ceased  to  play,  even  the 
servants  stood  about  helplessly,  and  from  the  square  out- 
side came  every  now  and  then  the  hoarse  thunder  of  voices, 
half  jeering,  half- threaten  ing.  John  Peters  turned  for  a 
moment  to  the  great  windows,  and  raising  the  curtain 
looked  outside.  The  square  was  packed  with  the  mob, 
whose  faces  seemed  ghastly  pale,  and  yet  distinct,  under 
the  light  of  the  torches  which  they  carried.  Here  and 
there  they  had  driven  long  sticks  into  the  ground  and 
bound  torches  to  the  top,  which  burned  steadily  with  a 
flaring  light.  As  yet  they  all  remained  outside  the  iron 
palings,  and  in  front  of  the  gates  there  still  walked,  with 
imperturbable  footsteps,  the  sentries  on  guard.  The 
circular  space  between  the  palings  and  the  palace  gates 
was  thronged  with  waiting  carriages  and  motors  of  every 


288  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

description.  John  Peters  dropped  the  curtain  and  entered 
the  ballroom.  His  coming  seemed  to  give  the  people  some 
relief.  They  would  have  crowded  round  him,  but  he 
waved  them  back  and  walked  to  the  raised  steps  where  the 
king  had  been  sitting.  Then  he  turned  and  spoke  to  them. 

"My  friends,"  he  said,  "I  am  sorry  that  your  evening 
here  has  been  spoiled  by  the  coming  of  these  rioters,  who 
seem  to  hold  the  square.  You  will  be  glad  to  hear,  how- 
ever, that  in  an  hour's  time  you  will  all  be  able  to  depart 
without  the  slightest  fear  of  any  annoyance.  In  the  mean- 
time, I  beg  that  you  will  amuse  yourselves,  and  accept  my 
assurance  that  there  is  not  the  slightest  possibility  of  any 
harm  coming  to  any  one  of  you.  All  that  I  ask  of  you  is 
to  remember  that  you  are  representatives  of  what  is  best 
in  birth  and  education  in  this  city,  and  that  to  show  fear, 
or  even  to  feel  it,  especially  when  real  danger  is  absent,  is 
an  unworthy  thing.  I  am  going  to  ask  the  band  to  start 
and  I  hope  that  you  will  resume  the  dance." 

There  was  a  little  murmur  of  relieved  voices,  which 
might  have  been  construed  as  applause.  John  Peters 
walked  slowly  down  from  the  dais,  and  as  he  approached 
the  people  his  eyes  fell  upon  little  Mademoiselle  de  Holdt. 
She  rose  at  once,  bright-eyed,  and  trembling  a  little  at  her 
own  temerity. 

"Once  before,"  she  murmured,  looking  up  at  him. 

"And  once  again,  mademoiselle,"  he  answered,  holding 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  289 

out  his  arm,  and  smiling  into  her  face.  "  If  all  our  women 
were  like  you,  I  think  that  we  should  welcome  these  small 
disturbances." 

The  band  struck  up  a  waltz  and  they  danced,  to  be 
joined  in  a  few  moments  by  many  others.  They  danced 
until  the  last  bars,  and  then  John  Peters  led  his  breathless 
partner  back  to  where  her  mother  was  waiting. 

"Little  girl,"  he  whispered,  "perhaps  very  soon  there 
will  be  little  left  of  me  in  Bergeland  but  memories.  I  hope 
at  least  that  you  will  not  forget  our  two  dances,  and  that 
you  will  not  forget  the  spirit  which  moved  you  to  give  them 
to  me." 

She  had  no  words,  but  she  looked  at  him  with  swimming 
eyes,  and  John  Peters,  with  a  very  low  bow,  turned  away 
to  mingle  with  his  other  guests. 

"One  hour,  I  can  assure  you,"  he  said  to  the  old  baron- 
ess, Bernhardt's  mother.  "We  arranged  it  all  before  I 
came  down.  The  people  are  really  quite  harmless,  and 
it  will  be  put  to  them  by  their  leaders  that  their  presence 
here  might  cause  us  alarm.  You  will  drive  home  as  safely 
as  you  take  your  afternoon  turn  in  the  park  in  a  very  short 
time.  Gentlemen,  do  not  forget  that  the  refreshment- 
rooms  are  still  open." 

He  made  his  way  at  last  to  where  Grace  was  standing, 
the  centre  of  a  little  group  of  men  whom  she  seemed  to 
be  amusing.  They  fell  back  respectfully  as  he  approached. 


290  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"  I  am  still  regretting,"  he  said,  as  he  bowed  before  her 
"my  interrupted  supper." 

"  I  am  sure,"  she  answered,  "  that  you  had  eaten  all  that 
was  good  for  you." 

"There  was  the  dessert,"  he  protested,  "and  the 
coffee." 

She  took  his  arm.  "I  come  under  protest,"  she  said, 
"but  I  think  I  should  really  like  some  coffee.  Tell  me, 
are  you  amusing  yourself  with  us  all,  or  do  you  really  think 
we  shall  be  able  to  get  away?" 

"I  have  pledged  my  word  for  it,"  he  answered,  "and  I 
do  not  think  there  is  any  doubt  at  all.  Only  to-morrow  the 
streets  will  be  unsafe  for  anybody.  You  must  stay  in  the 
house  and  wait." 

"What  is  going  to  happen?"  she  asked  softly. 

"  If  all  goes  well,"  he  answered,"  what  is  going  to  happen 
sounds  a  little  ignominious,  but  it  is  for  the  best.  The 
king  and  I  shall  leave  to-morrow  afternoon  for  the  frontier. 
We  may  go  through  to  Paris,  we  may  stop  for  a  time  at  the 
first  French  town  we  come  to." 

"And  Jeave  me  here?"  she  asked. 

He  laughed.  "There  shall  be  a  place  found  for  you  in 
the  special  train,"  he  said,  "if  you  are  not  ashamed  to 
leave  Varia  with  fugitives." 

She  pressed  his  hand.  "I  think,"  she  said,  "you  know 
how  much  shame  I  should  feel  in  leaving  anywhere  or  going 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  291 

anywhere  with  you!  There  are  those  awful  shouts  again! 
Let  us  look  out  of  the  window.  I  want  to  see  the 
people." 

They  walked  out  into  the  corridor.  He  swept  back 
the  great  curtains,  and  again  they  looked  out  into 
the  square. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

SOME  change  seemed  to  have  come  over  the  people 
who  thronged  the  square  and  park  behind.  They 
were  no  longer  motionless,  but  swayed  a  little  back- 
ward and  forward,  as  though  pressed  by  some  unseen 
force.  Their  attention  was  no  longer  directed  toward 
the  palace,  but  up  the  street,  and  by  leaning  a  little 
forward,  John  Peters  and  his  companion  could  see 
men  on  horseback  making  their  way  steadily  along 
through  the  crowd,  and  every  now  and  then  stopping  to 
address  them.  On  the  eastward  side  the  people  were 
falling  away. 

John  Peters  nodded  approvingly.  "Grammont  has 
kept  his  word,"  he  murmured.  "Very  soon  now  the  streets 
will  be  clear." 

He  let  fall  the  curtain,  and  then  turned  back  into  the 
room,  strolling  about  and  talking  here  and  there  to  the  men 
and  women,  whose  sole  object  now  seemed  to  be  to  show 
themselves  free  from  any  degree  of  nervousness. 

"The  crowd  is  thinning  already,"  he  told  every  one. 
"  In  an  hour  it  will  be  as  I  said.  Come,  it  is  late,  and  you 
are  all  a  little  tired  of  dancing.  When  I  may  have  the 

292 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  293 

pleasure  of  entertaining  you  again  I  do  not  know.  Let 
us  all  drink  a  toast  to  the  future  of  Bergeland!" 

They  followed  him  into  the  supper-room  in  troops. 
Somehow  or  other,  to-night  he  seemed  to  have  laid  hold  of 
the  imaginations  of  even  the  most  serious-minded  of  them. 
He  seemed  so  unlike  the  man  whose  dissipations  and 
strange  manner  of  life  had  left  him  outside  the  circle  of 
their  friendship,  except  when  etiquette  and  ceremonial 
necessities  intervened.  Danger,  after  all,  they  thought, 
sometimes  brings  out  the  good  that  is  in  a  man.  So  it 
must  be  with  him,  for  no  one  could  have  borne  himself 
more  gracefully,  or  acted  the  host  with  greater  light- 
heartedness.  The  people,  following  one  another  like 
sheep,  deserted  the  salon,  and  every  table  in  the  great 
supper-room  was  filled.  Their  host  himself  set  an  example 
of  gaiety  that  was  almost  riotous.  Grace  sat  at  his  right 
hand,  the  Baroness  de  Holdt  and  her  daughter  at  his  left. 
The  Russian  ambassador,  who  had  the  reputation  of  being 
the  wittiest  man  at  court,  was  a  few  places  away.  Sir 
Charles  and  the  French  ambassador  had  left  early,  under 
plea  of  urgent  business.  John  Peters  rose  to  his  feet  with 
a  glass  in  his  hand. 

"  My  friends,"  he  said,  "  I  want  you  to  drink  with  me  to 
the  future  of  Bergeland.  I  want  you  to  drink  this  toast  as  I 
drink  it,  honestly,  heartily,  without  a  single  embittering 
thought.  To  the  future  of  Bergeland  and  her  people! 


294  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

May  she  be  better  ruled  in  the  future  than  she  has 
been  in  the  past!  May  she  flourish  through  all  the 
days  and  may  she  take  her  place,  according  to  her  size, 
among  the  great  powers  that  have  placed  civilization, 
honour,  and  freedom  first  and  foremost  among  their 
ideals!  To  Bergeland,  our  country,  your  country,  my 
country ! " 

He  raised  his  glass  and  drank  in  silence,  as  did  everyone 
there,  and  then  there  rose  a  shout.  Some  one  started  the 
national  anthem.  They  all  joined  in.  The  people 
whispered  as  they  sat  down  that  something  had  come  to 
the  crown  prince  which  they  had  never  connected  with  him 
before;  that,  after  all,  perhaps  the  people  were  making  a 
mistake;  and  that  it  would  have  been  a  great  thing  to  be 
ruled  by  a  man  like  this.  And  then  the  women  remem- 
bered stories  and  began  to  gossip,  and  the  men  looked  wise. 
Only  Bernhardt,  who  had  a  place  in  a  distant  corner,  sat 
and  watched  the  crown  prince  as  a  man  who  cannot  believe 
his  eyes.  The  half-hour  that  followed  was  almost 
riotous.  Then,  at  a  motion  from  John  Peters,  the  servants 
threw  back  the  curtains  which  hung  in  front  of  the  great 
windows.  A  little  murmur  of  surprise  arose  from  every 
one.  The  people  had  melted  away  from  the  square  in 
some  extraordinary  fashion.  There  were  a  few  loiterers, 
not  more,  and  several  hundred  men  on  horseback,  slowly 
riding  up  and  down.  The  great  iron  gates  opening  into 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  295 

the  palace  grounds  were  wide  open.  The  stream  of  car- 
riages and  motors  still  waited. 

"My  friends,"  the  crown  prince  said,  "it  is  always  sad 
to  see  the  end  of  a  delightful  evening,  but  one  must  not 
impose  too  much  upon  one's  guests.  When  you  choose 
to  depart,  the  way,  as  I  promised  you,  is  clear." 

Everyone  tried  to  hide  their  relief,  and  everyone  tried 
to  make  their  arrangements  for  departure  look  as  little 
hurried  as  possible. 

"Who  are  those  men  on  horseback?"  Grace  asked  John 
Peters,  as  they  turned  away  from  the  room. 

"They  are  part  of  the  new  National  Guard  of  the  city," 
he  answered,  smiling, 

"Then  will  you  tell  me,"  she  demanded,  "how  it  is  that 
they  come  at  your  bidding?" 

He  smiled.  "Well,"  he  said,  "there  is  no  reason  why 
you  should  not  know  very  soon,  but  not  to-night.  Let 
us  get  to-morrow  through,  and  I  will  tell  you  a  strange 
story." 

"Shall  I  see  or  hear  from  you  to-morrow?"  she  asked. 

"You  must  not  leave  your  house,"  he  said,  "but  if  I  have 
a  chance  of  coming  I  shall  come,  even  to  take  you  away 
with  me." 

She  looked  back  for  a  moment  as  she  and  Madame  de 
Sayers,  among  the  last  to  go,  made  their  way  between  the 
rows  of  bowing  servants  toward  the  wide-open  doors. 


296  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

John  Peters  stood  there  almost  alone,  looking  after  his 
departing  guests,  his  hand  resting  lightly  upon  his  sword, 
behind  him  the  deserted  ballroom,  somehow  or  other  a 
curiously  suggestive  background.  When  she  turned 
round  and  looked  toward  the  street  her  eyes  were  filled  with 
tears.  Her  mind  was  suddenly  filled  with  ominous 
fears;  something  like  a  presentiment  seemed  to  depress 
her.  She  remembered  their  first  meeting  on  the  lake 
among  the  snows,  their  second  at  the  crowded  restaurant, 
where  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  seen  before  that 
curious  look  on  his  face  which  she  had  tried  to  explain  to 
the  man  who  had  been  her  escort. 

"The   Kingdom   of   Earth!"   she   repeated   softly   to 
herself. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

IT  WAS  along  toward  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
For  the  last  three  hours  every  church  bell  in  Varia 
seemed  to  have  been  pealing,  and  the  keys  were  many 
and  discordant.  The  streets  and  squares  had  all  been 
thronged  since  daybreak  with  thousands  of  townspeople, 
and  trains  from  every  part  of  the  country  had  been 
bringing  huge  crowds  from  the  country  districts,  all  dressed 
in  their  best  clothes,  all  with  the  air  of  observing  a  national 
holiday.  The  shops  were  closed,  and  all  the  cafe's  were 
crowded.  Everywhere  people  were  gathered  in  little  groups 
discussing  the  events  which  this  day  was  to  bring  forth. 

In  the  great  library  of  the  palace  the  king  sat  waiting. 
His  easy  chair  had  been  drawn  to  the  window,  and  his 
eyes  never  left  the  broad  avenue  which  led  straight  into 
the  heart  of  the  city.  His  face  was  worn  and  nervous. 
He  seemed  to  have  lost  flesh,  and  his  eyes  were  sunken  far 
back  in  his  head.  On  one  side  of  him  stood  a  doctor,  on 
the  other  his  secretary. 

"That  infernal  hubbub  of  bells/'  he  said,  "seems  to 
be  over.  The  city  must  be  quieting  down.  Tell  me, 
doctor,  don't  you  think  the  city  is  quieting  down,  eh?" 

297 


298  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  doctor  nodded  reassuringly.  "Without  a  doubt," 
he  answered. 

He  glanced  at  the  clock.  "Parliament  is  sitting  now," 
he  remarked.  "The  people  are  all  waiting  for  the 
result." 

The  king  muttered  something  inaudible,  and  half  closed 
his  sunken  eyes.  Suddenly  he  opened  them  again  and  sat 
upright  in  his  chair.  "News  at  last!"  he  exclaimed. 
"Now  we  shall  know  something!" 

Down  the  broad  avenue,  with  the  sunlight  flashing  upon 
their  brilliant  uniforms  and  a  cloud  of  dust  behind  them, 
came  a  small  company  of  soldiers,  riding  at  a  furious  pace. 
One  man  rode  in  front,  a  man  who,  from  his  great  height 
arid  wonderful  seat,  was  easily  recognizable. 

"It  is  the  crown  prince!"  the  doctor  exclaimed. 

The  king  knitted  his  brows.  "He  ought  not  to  have 
come  away,"  he  said  sharply.  "His  place  is  with  his 
regiment.  He  could  have  sent  a  message." 

"His  coming  looks  like  good  news,"  the  doctor  said 
smoothly.  "His  Royal  Highness  would  not  have  left  if 
things  had  been  serious." 

John  Peters  was  in  the  room  a  moment  later.  His  face 
was  pale  and  serious,  and  he  bore  the  marks  of  hard  riding. 
The  king  turned  toward  him  anxiously. 

"Why  have  you  left  your  post,  John?"  he  demanded. 
"Your  place  is  with  the  army." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  299 

John  Peters  glanced  toward  the  doctor,  who  moved 
hastily  to  his  side. 

"The  sooner  his  Majesty  knows  the  worst  the  better," 
he  whispered.  "He  is  strong  enough  now  to  bear  the 
shock,  but  he  is  not  likely  to  improve  during  the  next  few 
hours." 

"Your  Majesty,"  John  Peters  answered,  "I  have 
brought  the  army  with  me  —  what  is  left  of  it.  The 
remainder  is  being  enrolled  in  the  National  Guard  of  the 
new  republic.  Grobener  has  broken  his  sword,  and  I 
heard  a  rumour  as  I  came  away  that  he  had  blown  out  his 
brains.  I  am  afraid  it  is  true." 

"\Vhat  is  going  to  happen?"  the  king  gasped. 

"A  deputation  from  Parliament  is  on  its  way  here  now," 
John  Peters  declared. 

Even  as  he  spoke  there  came  up  the  great  avenue  which 
divided  the  park  a  motor-car  driven  at  frantic  speed. 
The  four  men  watched  it  with  interest.  At  scarcely  abated 
speed  it  came  tearing  through  the  palace  gates,  and  with  a 
jarring  of  brakes  and  a  shower  of  pebbles  thrown  up  into 
the  air  it  came  to  a  standstill  in  front  of  the  main  entrance. 
One  man  sprang  out  and  hastened  into  the  palace.  John 
Peters  turned  away  from  the  window.  He  was  wondering 
just  what  this  man  might  want.  A  groom  of  the  chambers 
entered  almost  immediately. 

"Your  Royal  Highness,"  he  said,  "Baron  Bernhardt 


300  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

begs  to  be  allowed  to  speak  with  you  for  a  moment 
without  delay." 

John  Peters  glanced  toward  the  king,  who  seemed  to 
have  heard.  "Show  him  in  here,"  he  directed. 

The  man  withdrew,  and  returned  almost  at  once  with 
Bernhardt  close  at  his  heels.  Seizing  John  Peters  by  the 
arm,  Bernhardt  drew  him  to  one  side.  The  doctor  fell 
back,  and  took  up  his  former  position  beside  the  king's 
chair. 

"My  friend,"  Bernhardt  said,  "I  have  come  straight 
from  Parliament,  and  a  report  of  a  secret  meeting  of  the 
prospective  government  of  this  country  has  been  handed 
to  me  by  my  spies.  I  have  come  to  beg  you  to  do  one  of 
two  things:  Either  see  Grammont  and  the  rest  of  the 
committee  at  once,  and  tell  them  the  wonderful  story 
you  have  told  me,  or  else  away  now  in  my  motor-car 
for  your  life!" 

"Are  things  as  bad  as  that?"  John  Peters  asked. 

"  Frankly,"  Bernhardt  answered,  "  for  you  they  are  very 
bad  indeed.  You  seem  to  have  a  hundred  enemies. 
The  whole  of  the  puritan  section  is  clamouring  for  what  it 
calls  justice.  The  king  will  be  allowed  to  depart,  if  he  is 
wise  enough  to  go,  but  honestly  I  doubt  whether  you  will 
ever  reach  the  railway  station.  You  want  the  truth.  I 
believe  that  if  you  are  seen  outside  the  palace  you  wiU 
be  dragged  from  your  carriage  and  shot." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  301 

"I  must  nevertheless  run  the  risk,"  John  Peters 
answered.  "I  cannot  do  either  of  the  things  you  have 
suggested." 

"Surely  you  can  declare  yourself  as  the  Watcher?" 
Bernhardt  argued.  "You  have  only  to  do  so,  and  you 
will  be  safe.  I  am  here  to  back  you  up.  It  will  come 
upon  the  people  like  a  thunderclap,  but  it  will  be  your 
salvation.  It  cannot  do  any  harm  now.  The  secret  has 
been  kept  long  enough.  Frankly,  you  must  do  it  to  save 
your  life." 

John  Peters  shook  his  head  slowly.  "No,"  he  said, 
"I  do  not  think  that  I  shall  declare  myself.  To-day  the 
people  have  accepted  my  directions  and  my  teaching  like 
gospel.  How  do  I  know  but  that,  if  they  associate 
it  with  the  name  of  a  man  whom  they  hate,  they  will  cast 
it  aside  discredited?  I  want  them,  letter  by  letter  and 
word  by  word,  to  carry  out  faithfully  to  the  end  the  scheme 
which  I  have  laid  before  them.  If  they  knew  that  that 
scheme  was  planned  by  the  Crown  Prince  of  Bergeland,  I 
fear  that  all  their  enthusiasm  for  it  would  depart  like 
breath  from  a  glass.  No,  Bernhardt,  I  will  not  risk  it, 
I  will  not  declare  myself!" 

"You  prefer  to  risk  your  life,"  Bernhardt  declared 
impetuously.  "Is  it  that  you  do  not  believe  me,  or  that 
you  are  a  little  mad?  I  tell  you  that  at  this  moment  a 
mob  surrounds  the  House  of  Parliament,  but  directly  the 


302  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

sitting  is  over  it  will  come  here.  I  tell  you  that  I  know 
something  of  its  spirit.  It  may  let  the  king  go  with  a  jeer 
but  with  you  it  is  different.  We  have  wasted  time  enough 
already.  Take  my  car  quickly.  You  can  reach  Vin- 
cennes  without  a  stop.  After  that  you  must  trust  to  fate; 
but  if  you  stay  here  and  keep  silence,  I  do  not  think  there 
is  a  man  in  the  country  who  can  save  you." 

John  Peters  turned  away  from  the  window.  "My  dear 
friend,"  he  said,  "there  is  a  motto  whose  text,  I  believe,  is 
'Save  me  from  my  friends!'  Now  you  have  come  here 
with  the  best  of  intentions,  and  I  thank  you  for  it,  but  the 
truth  is  just  as  well  told  soon  as  late.  Never  while  I  am 
on  this  Bergeland  soil  will  I  open  my  lips  to  tell  the  people 
what  part  I  have  played  in  these  new  things,  nor  will  I 
leave  the  country  except  openly,  and  after  I  have  seen  the 
king  safely  disposed  of." 

Bernhardt  turned  away  with  a  sigh.  "I  am  sorry,"  he 
said.  "You  are  a  brave  man,  Prince,  and  a  wonderful 
one.  I  have  done  my  best  to  save  you  from  an  ignoble 
end.  I  can  do  no  more.  I  am  afraid  that  even  now  it 
would  be  too  late." 

Even  as  he  spoke  there  came  from  the  half-open  window 
a  faint  sound  of  distant  cheering.  The  two  men  stood 
before  the  window.  Far  down  the  avenue  they  saw 
carriages  approaching,  surrounded  by  mounted  horse- 
men, and  followed  by  an  immense  crowd  of  people  on  foot. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  303 

"  They  are  coming,"  Bernhardt  said.  "  Grammont  is  to 
speak  for  them,  I  believe.  Tell  him  the  truth.  He 
knows  that  that  message  last  night  came  from  the  palace. 
He  is  a  quick-witted  man,  and  he  will  understand  and 
believe." 

John  Peters  shook  his  head.  "If  you,  my  dear  friend," 
he  said,  "  interfere  in  my  concerns,  you  will  find  that  there 
will  be  trouble  for  you  also.  I  can  deal  very  well  with 
what  there  is  to  come."  He  turned  and  walked  toward  the 
king.  "Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "there  are  messengers 
coming  from  Parliament.  Let  me  beg  you  to  prepare 
yourself  for  giving  them  a  dignified  hearing." 

The  king  rose  from  his  chair  with  some  difficulty.  He 
was  dressed  in  the  frock  coat  and  dark  trousers  and  prim, 
precise  neckwear  which  he  generally  affected.  Somehow 
he  seemed  shrunken  and  older  than  usual.  His  manner, 
too,  was  the  manner  of  a  man  approaching  his  second 
childhood. 

"I  will  see  them,  John,"  he  said.  "I  will  talk  to  them, 
certainly.  I  hope  there  is  going  to  be  no  trouble.  I  am 
too  old  for  trouble  nowadays.  It  worries  me.  You  will 
stay  by  my  side,  John  ?" 

"Yes,  I  shall  be  here,"  John  Peters  said,  "and  Doctor 
Reich  will  not  leave  you  at  all.  If  you  find  the  exertion  of 
talking  to  these  men  too  great,  depute  me  to  do  it.  I  think 
I  know  what  is  best  to  be  said." 


304  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

The  king  nodded.  "I  shall  leave  it  entirely  to  you," 
he  said,  "entirely  to  you.  I  am  tired  to-day.  We  must 
have  sat  up  too  late  last  night.  I  am  forgetful,  too,"  he 
added,  drawing  his  hand  across  his  forehead.  "I  cannot 
even  remember  what  it  is  these  men  are  coming  about." 

Again  the  groom  of  the  chambers  threw  open  the  door. 
"Your  Majesty,"  he  announced,  "there  are  five  gentlemen 
here  from  Parliament,  who  request  an  immediate 
audience." 

The  king  stood  up  once  more.  "Admit  them  by  all 
means,"  he  said,  "admit  them  at  once." 

The  five  men  entered  the  room.  They  bowed  to  the 
king  and  to  John  Peters.  He  recognized  them  at  once. 
They  had  sat  at  the  same  table  with  him  half  a  dozen 
times,  listening  to  his  every  word  as  though  he  were 
inspired.  They  regarded  him  now  in  a  very  different 
fashion. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

GRAMMQNT  had  been  deputed  to  act  as  spokesman. 
Of  medium  height,  stern  of  feature,  direct  in  speech, 
he  represented  to  the  people  the  type  of  a  conscientious 
ruler  of  their  own  class.  He  loved  the  truth.  He  spoke 
what  he  believed.  He  was  an  honest  republican  to  the 
backbone,  hating  shams,  hating  ostentation,  contemptuous 
of  all  the  artificiality  of  imperial  government.  He  stood 
before  the  king  respectfully,  but  without  nervousness  or 
fear,  and  he  was  prepared  to  say  the  things  which  were 
in  his  mind. 

"Your  Majesty,"  he  said,  "I  and  my  friends  here  have 
come  as  the  representatives  of  the  new  government  of  this 
country,  which  has  just  been  proclaimed  and  sanctioned 
by  Parliament." 

The  king  smiled  amiably,  but  as  one  who  failed  to 
grasp  the  purport  of  the  words  to  which  he  had  listened. 
The  change  was  apparent  at  once  to  every  one  of  them. 
He  was  a  broken  man. 

"Sir,"  he  answered,  "you  will  excuse  me,  but  I  am  not 
in  the  best  of  health  to-day.  My  nephew  here,  the  crown 
prince,  will  answer  you  on  my  behalf.  I  leave  everything 

905 


306  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

in  his  hands,  and  whatever  he  pledges  himself  to  I  am 
willing  to  perform." 

He  gave  another  queer  little  bow,  and  sat  down  in  his 
easy  chair  with  the  air  of  one  who  had  no  further  interest 
in  the  proceedings.  Grammont  turned  a  little  gravely 
toward  the  crown  prince.  His  manner  was  already 
changed.  What  there  had  been  in  it  of  respect  when  he 
addressed  the  king  was  gone  now. 

"Sir,"  he  said,  "the  king  has  appointed  you  his  spokes- 
man. *I  am  here  to  tell  you  that  the  monarchy  of  the 
country  no  longer  exists.  Parliament,  under  the  full 
powers  which  belong  to  the  constitution,  has  proclaimed 
Bergeland  a  republic.  The  members  of  the  government 
have  been  chosen,  and  have  accepted  their  positions. 
I  have  the  honour,  sir,  to  address  you  as  president  of  the 
Republic  of  Bergeland." 

The  crown  prince  bowed.  "Sir,"  he  said,  "I  con- 
gratulate you.  Go  on." 

Grammont  for  a  moment  was  rather  at  a  loss.  John 
Peters  seemed  in  no  wise  discomposed.  There  was  even 
a  smile  on  his  face  as  he  looked  down  upon  the  man  whom 
he  had  so  often,  from  underneath  his  mask  and  from  out  of 
the  shadows,  directed  in  the  course  which  he  was  now 
pursuing. 

"Our  object  in  coming  here,"  Grammont  said,  "is  to 
inform  the  king  of  what  has  transpired,  and  to  beg  him  to 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  307 

leave  the  country  without  a  moment's  delay.  Any  formal 
abdication  of  his  sovereignty  is  unnecessary.  A  king  can- 
not rule  over  a  republic,  and  Bergeland  has  been  to-day 
legally  and  constitutionally  created  a  republic." 

"Under  the  circumstances,"  John  Peters  said,  "I  agree 
with  you  that  it  is  the  best  thing  his  Majesty  could  do." 

"There  is  a  special  train,"  Grammont  continued,  "now 
waiting  at  the  railway  station,  and  we  wish  his  Majesty 
to  take  it.  His  private  effects  and  his  great  property  will 
be  in  no  wise  affected  by  the  change.  We  confiscate 
nothing.  His  affairs  can  be  administered  by  any  man  or 
body  of  men  he  chooses  to  appoint,  but  we  wish  him  to 
leave  the  country  to-day." 

John  Peters  bowed.  "And  as  regards  myself,"  he 
remarked  suavely,  "have  you  any  advice  or  instructions  to 
give  me?" 

Grammont  looked  at  him  with  stern,  hard  face.  "Sir," 
he  said,  "all  that  I  can  give  you  is  advice,  and  that  is,  if 
you  have  friends,  make  use  of  them  now.  Disguise  your- 
self in  any  way  you  can  think  of.  Make  use  of  any 
means  that  occurs  to  you  to  steal  out  of  the  city  before  the 
people  can  stop  you.  The  Republic  will  protect  the  king 
because  of  his  age  and  a  certain  moderation  which  he  has 
always  shown  in  his  misdeeds.  But  for  you  the  people 
have  neither  sympathy  nor  respect.  Your  life  has  been  a 
scandal,  and  the  prospect  of  your  ruling  this  country  has 


308  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

been  a  nightmare  to  them.  There  are  many  who  have 
personal  grievances  against  you,  the  nature  of  which  you 
know  well.  We  would  protect  you  if  we  could,  but  we 
promise  nothing.  Do  the  best  you  can  to  save  yourself." 

"I  am  much  obliged  to  you,"  John  Peters  said  coolly, 
"  for  your  plain  speaking.  It  seems  to  me  that  I  am  in  a 
somewhat  awkward  position.  Have  you  anything  more 
to  say  to  us?" 

Grammont  hesitated  for  a  moment.  He,  too,  loved 
brave  men,  and  the  splendid  indifference  of  the  man  whose 
life  was  in  such  terrible  danger  appealed  to  him.  He 
glanced  toward  the  window. 

"There  is  nothing  more  for  me  to  say,"  he  declared, 
"but  most  of  these  things  that  have  come  to  Bergeland 
are  owing  to  one  man  and  his  command,  and  it  was  his 
wish  that  the  political  changes  of  to-day  should  be 
unmarred  by  any  deed  of  violence.  For  his  sake,  then,  I 
beg  you  to  escape  without  a  moment's  delay.  There  are 
two  motor-cars  waiting  at  the  back  entrance  to  the  palace 
in  the  smaller  courtyard.  Take  the  route  around  back 
of  the  city  to  the  lower  station,  where  the  express  is  waiting, 
and  you  may  yet  escape  the  people." 

"I  thank  you,"  John  Peters  answered.  "I  really  think 
that  it  would  be  a  wise  thing  to  do.  Doctor  Reich,  you 
will  find  his  Majesty's  valet  outside.  I  think  we  had  better 
take  this  journey  that  is  being  pressed  upon  us." 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  309 

Even  as  he  spoke  he  heard  shouting  in  front  of  the 
palace.  The  gates  were  being  shaken  by  an  angry  mob, 
and  a  shower  of  stones  came  through,  falling  just  short  of 
the  window.  The  king  heard  the  noise  and  hurried  toward 
the  door  with  feeble  footsteps. 

"Come,  come,"  he  said,  "we  will  get  away,  we  will  get 
away  quickly." 

Out  in  the  courtyard  an  unseen  hand  guided  John 
Peters  toward  the  second  of  the  waiting  cars.  The  king, 
Doctor  Reich,  and  Bernhardt  were  already  leaving  the 
gates  in  the  first.  John  Peters  stepped  in  and  found  him- 
self side  by  side  with  Grace.  The  car  leaped  forward. 

"Don't  look  so  surprised,"  Grace  whispered.  "I  have 
been  waiting  here  for  an  hour.  It  was  Bernhardt  who 
sent  me.  If  there  had  been  any  trouble,  if  you  had  been 
obstinate,  I  was  coming  in  to  fetch  you." 

"You  are  going  with  us?"  he  asked. 

She  nodded.  "Why  not?  The  city  has  no  interest 
for  me  now.  We  will  go  together  to  find  that  other 
kingdom!"  she  whispered. 

Almost  unnoticed  the  car  swept  along  through  the 
deserted  streets.  They  were  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
making  their  way  by  a  circuitous  route  to  the  smaller  of 
the  two  railway  stations.  No  one  interfered  with  their 
progress.  The  few  people  whom  they  met  were  hurrying 
to  join  the  great  throngs  outside  the  Parliament  House. 


310  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

from  which  the  new  government  was  even  then  being 
proclaimed.  So  they  reached  the  railway  station  without 
challenge  or  trouble  of  any  sort,  to  find  the  train  already 
waiting  in  the  station  and  the  king  established  in  a  corner 
of  the  saloon.  Bernhardt  stepped  forward  to  meet  them. 

"Thank  Heaven  you  are  in  time!"  he  said.  "You  are 
going  through  to  the  frontier,  without  a  stop,  and  the 
engineer  has  orders  to  disregard  any  signals  that  may  be 
telegraphed  against  you.  We  shall  meet  again 
in  Paris." 

They  stood  for  a  moment  with  clasped  hands.  Already 
John  Peters  had  turned  away,  and  one  foot  was  upon  the 
step,  when  a  man,  hatless  and  disheveled  with  running, 
came  rushing  up  the  platform.  The  guard  would  have 
stopped  him,  but  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  crown 
prince  he  held  out  what  seemed  to  be  a  note.  John 
Peters  took  the  half-sheet  of  note-paper  from  his  fingers 
and  read  a  few  hastily  scrawled  lines,  words  traced  by  a 
man  in  peril  of  his  life.  He  read  them  and  crushed 
the  paper  in  his  hand.  The  guard  from  behind  blew  his 
whistle. 

"  If  your  Highness  pleases,"  he  begged. 

John  Peters  stepping  into  the  carriage,  took  Grace  in 
his  arms  and  kissed  her.  Then  he  stepped  back  upon  the 
platform.  Bernhardt  looked  at  him  in  amazement. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  he  exclaimed. 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  311 

"Nothing  much,"  John  Peters  answered,  "but  I  can- 
not go.  Start  the  train,  Bernhardt,  at  once.  The  king 
is  over-excited  already.  Don't  look  like  that.  Nothing 
that  you  could  say  would  make  any  difference." 

Grace  called  to  him  from  the  window,  and  he  went  back. 

"Dear,"  he  said,  "I  can  tell  you  only  this,  that  I  must 
stay,  and  when  you  know  everything  you  will  agree  with 
me  that  there  is  nothing  else  that  I  could  do." 

She  calmly  descended  from  the  train.  "Very  well," 
she  said,  "then  I,  too,  shall  remain." 

"The  city  is  not  a  fit  place  for  you,"  he  told  her  gravely, 
"and  it  is  possible  that  things  may  happen  which  will 
distress  you.  You  are  better  away  from  here,  Grace. 
You  cannot  help  me  here.  No  one  can  help  me." 

"I,  too,"  she  answered,  "have  a  will  of  my  own,  and 
when  I  say  that  I  will  not  go,  I  will  not.  You  see,  it  is 
settled." 

The  train  began  to  move.  The  three  people  walked 
slowly  back  toward  where  the  motor-cars  were  still  wait- 
ing. As  they  stepped  out  into  the  courtyard  they  could  see 
the  train  gliding  away  toward  the  open  country.  From 
the  city  which  stretched  at  their  feet  came  the  faint  roar 
of  voices.  Bernhardt  laid  his  hand  upon  the  crown 
prince's  shoulder. 

"My  friend,"  he  said,  "you  know,  I  suppose,  all  that  I 
can  tell  you.  You  know  that  Grammont,  even,  will  not 


312  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

guarantee  your  safety.  As  I  passed  through  the  city, 
only  an  hour  ago,  they  were  calling  out  your  name.  They 
mean  to  search  for  you  at  the  palace." 

John  Peters  turned  toward  Grace.  "I  know  exactly 
what  I  have  to  fear,"  he  said.  "There  is  no  time  for  me 
to  explain  everything  now,  but  there  is  a  certain  risk  I  must 
run.  Bernhardt,  I  rely  upon  you  to  look  after  Miss 
Pellisier." 

"She  will  be  safer  with  me  than  anywhere  else,"  Bern- 
hardt declared.  "My  office  has  been  confirmed.  I  am 
chief  commissioner  of  police  in  the  new  republic." 

Grace  laid  her  hand  upon  her  lover's  arm.  "Let  me 
come  with  you,"  she  begged.  "I  am  not  afraid.  If 
there  is  any  danger  which  you  must  face,  let  me  face 
it  with  you." 

He  shook  his  head  lightly  as  he  sprang  into  one  of  the 
motor-cars.  "It  is  not  possible,  dear,"  he  said.  "Bern- 
hardt will  look  after  you." 

They  both  gazed  after  the  car,  rushing  now  into  the  city 
through  a  cloud  of  dust,  and  Bernhardt  shook  his  head 
gravely. 

"It  takes  a  fool  or  a  brave  man,"  he  said,  "to  tempt 
Providence  so  far!" 

With  his  head  out  of  the  window  John  Peters  shouted 
directions  to  the  chauffeur  as  they  drove  through  the 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  313 

streets,  flying  around  corners,  escaping  a  collision  at  almost 
every  turn.  In  the  back  streets  there  were  few  people,  but 
as  they  neared  the  heart  of  the  city  the  car  turned  suddenly 
into  the  Place  de  la  Concorde.  Directly  they  approached 
it,  they  could  tell  from  the  roar  of  voices  that  it  was  held 
by  a  great  throng.  The  car  slackened  speed,  but  the 
people  made  way  for  it  quickly.  All  their  attention  was 
turned  toward  the  fountain  in  the  middle  of  the  square, 
where  a  dozen  or  so  of  men  on  horseback  seemed  to  be 
doing  their  best  to  protect  some  fugitive,  who  was  cower- 
ing behind.  Even  as  the  car  came  slowly  through  the 
throng  the  mob  were  closing  round  with  threatening 
shouts.  John  Peters  pushed  open  the  door  of  the  car. 
There  was  no  mistaking  the  shout,  which  seemed  to  be  on 
everyone's  lips.  It  was  his  own  name,  thundered  out  in 
every  key  of  rage  and  bloodthirsty  anger.  He  sprang 
from  the  car,  and  then  with  a  sweep  of  his  great  arms,  he 
flung  away  the  people  from  either  side,  and  made  his  way 
into  the  little  circle. 

"Keep  off  that  man,"  he  shouted,  in  a  voice  of  thunder. 
"He  is  not  the  one  you  want.  I  am  the  crown  prince." 

There  was  a  moment's  strange  and  tense  silence.  The 
man,  whose  face  was  already  bleeding,  looked,  with  a 
sudden  flash  of  hope  in  his  face,  across  to  the  spot  from 
whence  the  interruption  had  come.  The  people  looked 
from  one  to  the  other  of  the  two  men  in  amazement.  The 


314  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

likeness  was  a  marvellous  thing.  There  was  the  same 
height,  the  same  figure,  the  same  complexion,  the  features 
were  the  same,  only  the  features  of  the  man  who  cowered 
back  against  the  fountain  were  worn  with  dissipation  and 
weakened  with  dissolute  living,  whereas  the  lines  on  the 
face  of  the  man  who  strode  toward  him  seemed  to  spell 
different  things.  The  people  never  hesitated  for  one 
moment.  This  man,  whose  life  at  their  hands  had  been 
only  a  matter  of  minutes,  passed  well  enough  for  the  crown 
prince,  but  the  real  man  there  was  no  mistaking.  They 
rushed  at  him  with  a  yell,  but  he  too  had  reached  the  base 
of  the  fountain,  arid  with  a  sudden  wonderful  leap  he 
sprang  on  to  the  railing  out  of  their  reach,  balancing  him- 
self by  touching  the  brackets  which  held  the  electric  lights. 

"You  recognize  me?"  he    cried.      "You   know   who 
I  am?" 

A  roar  of  voices  filled  the  air.     A  stone  just  missed  his 
forehead,  another  one  cut  the  coat  upon  his  shoulders. 

"Then  let  that  man  go,"  he  shouted,  but  they  had 
already  forgotten  him. 

Closer  and  closer  they  strained  forward  toward  the  man 
who  towered  for  a  moment  out  of  their  reach. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

A  WOMAN  with  hot  eyes  and  aching  forehead  stood 
before  the  open  window  of  one  of  the  topmost 
apartments  in  a  great  building,  gazing  toward  the  city. 
The  street  below  was  almost  deserted.  The  few  people 
who  passed  along  were  either  running  or  walking  rapidly 
toward  die  heart  of  the  city,  from  which  there  continuously 
came  through  the  still  air  a  confused  babel  of  sounds. 
Bells  were  pealing,  fireworks  every  now  and  then  tore  up 
into  the  black  sky,  and  the  roar  of  voices,  ceaseless,  thrill- 
ing, was  like  the  incoming  tide  of  a  great  se,a.  The  woman 
had  stood  there  for  nearly  an  hour,  waiting  and  listening. 
At  last  she  dropped  the  curtain  and  turned  back  into 
the  room. 

"If  only  one  could  hear,"  she  murmured. 

She  walked  restlessly  up  and  down  the  room.  Once 
she  stopped  and  leaned  affectionately  over  the  chair  where 
John  Peters  had  last  sat. 

"If  they  kill  him!"  she  muttered;  "if  they  dare  to  kill 
him!" 

She  was  suddenly  attentive.  She  heard  a  step  upon  the 
stairs.  She  crept  to  the  door  and  softly  opened  it.  A  tall 

815 


316  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

figure  in  a  long  cloak  sprang  in  and  leaned  for  a  moment 
against  the  wall,  breathless.  She  gave  a  little  welcoming 
cry.  It  was  John  Peters. 

"Lock  the  door!"  he  begged.  "Give  me  some  wine, 
quick!" 

Then  she  saw  that  there  were  wounds  on  his  face  and 
that  his  clothes  were  torn,  but  she  did  not  hesitate  for  a 
moment.  She  sprang  to  a  cupboard  and  placed  glasses 
and  a  bottle  upon  the  table,  and  with  firm  fingers  poured 
out  the  wine  and  held  it  to  his  lips. 

"You  will  be  safe  here,"  she  said  quietly.  "Sit  down 
and  rest  for  a  moment.  I  will  get  you  water.  You  must 
bathe  your  face." 

He  threw  off  his  long  coat,  and  drawing  out  his  sword 
laid  it  upon  the  table.  She  shivered  as  she  saw  that  it 
was  stained  and  dented  with  use. 

"I  never  meant,"  he  said  bitterly,  "to  use  that 
against  my  own  people,  but  God  knows  life  is  sweet, 
and  they  forced  it  on  me.  They  were  the  scum  of 
the  city,  and  they  would  have  torn  me  limb  from 
limb.  Marie,  they  are  almost  sure  to  track  me  here. 
Are  you  afraid?" 

"  God  knows  I  am  not! "  she  cried  passionately.  "They 
can  kill  me,  too,  if  they  like.  Here,  drink  some  more 
wine." 

She  forced  it  down  his  throat,  and  hurrying  away, 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  317 

returned  with  a  basin  and  water.  He  plunged  his  head 
in  and  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief. 

"Well,  if  they  come,"  he  said,  "they  shall  not  take  me 
alive.  If  only  I  can  lie  hidden  for  a  few  hours  until  Bern- 
hardt  has  seen  Grammont  and  the  others,  I  shall  be  safe. 
Give  me  a  cigarette,  Marie." 

He  leaned  back  in  a  chair  for  a  moment  and  closed  his 
eyes.  For  six  hours  he  had  practically  been  fighting  for 
his  life,  and  now  he  felt  that  the  rest  was  making  a  new 
man  of  him.  And  all  the  time  Marie  watched  and  listened. 
She  stood  by  the  window  with  her  face  turned  toward 
the  city. 

"Can  you  hear  anything?"  he  asked  sleepily. 

"Nothing,"  she  answered. 

He  closed  his  eyes  and  slept.  Half  an  hour  passed,  an 
hour.  The  woman  scarcely  moved  as  she  continued  to 
gaze  cityward  with  strained  eyes.  Then  suddenly  her 
heart  gave  one  terrible  leap.  A  distant  sound  grew  every 
second  more  distinct.  Round  the  corner  into  the  street 
came  trooping  a  disorderly  mob  of  shouting  men,  carrying 
torches  and  banners,  many  of  them  staggering  as  though 
half  drunk.  She  heard  what  it  was  they  were  shouting, 
and  she  shivered.  They  were  searching  for  the  crown 
prince,  and  they  called  out  her  name.  She  stepped  over 
and  wakened  him. 

"My  friend,"  she  said,  "I  am  afraid  that  they  have 


318  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

found  you  out.     There  is  a  mob  in  the  street  below.     They 

are  coming  here  to  search  for  you." 

He  staggered  to  his  feet.  She  turned  out  the  lights, 
and  he  walked  to  the  window  and  stood  looking  down. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "it  is  the  same  crowd,  drunken, 
ignorant,  the  riffraff  of  the  city.  They  hunt  for  me,  do 
they?  We  shall  see!" 

He  flung  off  his  coat  and  stood  in  his  shirt  and  trousers. 
He  took  a  revolver  in  his  left  hand  and  a  sword  in  his  right. 

"Marie,"  he  said,  "go  to  the  telephone.  Ring  up 
Bernhardt,  and  tell  him  that  I  am  here,  fighting  for  my 
life.  Tell  him  that  he  can  tell  Grammont  what  he  will, 
but  I  will  not  be  killed  like  a  rat  in  a  hole  by  this  scum. 
Little  woman,  you  had  better  run  away.  You  can  get 
down  into  one  of  the  other  apartments  before  they  come. 
It  will  not  be  a  pretty  sight  for  you." 

She  stooped  and  kissed  his  hand,  and  disappeared 
through  a  connecting  door.  John  Peters  stepped  outside 
and  looked  down  the  stone  staircase.  There  were  a  few  feet 
of  open  space  here,  and  the  steps  themselves  were  narrow. 
If  they  had  no  firearms,  it  was  here  that  he  could  best 
defend  himself.  He  felt  the  point  of  his  sword,  and  slipped 
fresh  cartridges  into  the  spent  chambers  of  his  revolver. 
Then  he  stood  and  waited.  He  heard  them  troop  into  the 
hall  below,  and  presently  he  heard  the  shuffling  patter  of 
their  footsteps  as  they  came  up  the  stairs.  He  gripped  his 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  319 

>\vord  and  stood  waiting.  Nearer  and  nearer  they  came. 
At  last  they  reached  the  final  bend  and  saw  him  standing 
there.  With  a  yell  of  triumph  they  pushed  one  another 
along  until  they  had  reached  the  last  two  steps.  Then 
they  paused  for  a  moment,  shouting  at  him,  and  calling  to 
those  behind  to  come  on.  The  foremost  ones  hesitated, 
for  they  looked  into  the  dark  muzzle  of  his  revolver. 

"Listen,"  he  called  out,  "the  first  man  who  steps  on  to 
the  landing  I  shoot!  Stay  there  for  a  moment  and  listen 
to  me." 

They  were  thick  upon  the  staircase  now,  and  those 
behind  cried  angrily  to  the  others  to  go  on,  or  make  way. 
There  were  fifty  or  sixty  of  them  at  least,  men  of  all  sorts 
and  conditions,  some  of  them  half  drunk  and  scarcely 
knowing  what  they  saw,  others  extremists  who  had  sought 
for  this  man  all  day  and  meant  to  see  him  dead;  and  there 
were  one  or  two  who  had  sworn  months  before  that  when 
the  time  came  his  life  at  least  should  be  forfeited.  It  was 
these  who  struggled  so  desperately  from  the  rear. 

"You  cry  for  the  crown  prince,"  he  said.  "I  am  the 
crown  prince.  What  do  you  want  with  me?" 

"Your  life!"  they  shouted. 

"That,"  he  answered,  "will  do  you  no  good.  Come 
here  with  any  one  in  authority,  bring  any  one  of  your  new 
ministers,  bring  Bernhardt,  your  new  chief  of  police,  and  I 
will  prove  to  you  that  I  am  not,  nor  ever  was,  any  enemy 


320  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

of  your  country.     I  will  prove  to  you,  if  you  will,  that  I 

do  not  deserve  death  at  your  hands." 

They  shouted  him  down.  A  long,  lean  man,  over 
six  feet  tall,  who  carried  a  hatchet,  and  whose  face  was 
already  smeared  with  blood,  pushed  his  way  to  the 
front. 

"At  last!"  he  shouted,  and  sprang  at  John  Peters. 
Then  with  a  sob  he  fell  over,  and  the  hatchet  slipped  from 
his  fingers  a  second  too  soon.  He  was  shot  through  the 
heart,  and  lay  across  the  landing,  dead,  with  scarcely  a 
twitch  of  the  muscles. 

"You  are  fools!"  John  Peters  cried.  "Six  of  you  at 
least  will  die  before  you  touch  me,  and  I  do  not  want  your 
lives.  Keep  me  a  prisoner  here  while  you  send  for  Bern- 
hardt.  I  will  go  with  him  anywhere  you  say.  I  will  stand 
trial  for  anything  with  which  you  may  charge  me." 

Those  who  had  joined  the  party  simply  for  the  excite- 
ment of  the  chase  hung  back  and  seemed  inclined  to  listen, 
but  there  were  others  on  whose  faces  was  a  grimmer  pur- 
pose, and  gradually  these  were  pushing  their  way  through 
to  the  front.  Three  of  them  sprang  forward  together,  but 
not  one  of  them  was  able  to  strike  even  a  blow.  One  John 
Peters  shot,  the  other  he  ran  through  the  body  with  his 
sword,  and  the  third,  who  was  in  the  act  of  firing  a  pistol 
point-blank  in  his  face,  was  shot  by  some  unseen  hand. 
John  Peters  half  turned  his  head.  It  was  Marie,  who 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  321 

stood  there  in  her  dressing-gown,  a  revolver  in  each  hand, 
and  her  eyes  blazing  with  fury. 

"  You  dogs ! "  she  cried.     "  You  fools! " 

" Listen  to  his  mistress! "  some  one  called  from  the  stairs. 

"It  is  a  lie,"  she  shouted,  "it  is  a  lie,  as  you  will  know 
some  day.  This  is  not  the  man  you  seek,  this  is  not  the 
man  you  knew  as  the  crown  prince.  I  tell  you  that  if 
you  touch  a  hair  of  his  head  you  will  be  hated  for  it  all  your 
lives.  This  is  the  man  who  spent  his  days  planning  to 
set  you  free." 

For  a  moment  they  hung  back,  but  only  for  a  moment. 
Her  words  meant  nothing  to  them.  They  were  half  drunk 
with  the  lust  of  fighting,  half  mad  with  the  memory  of  their 
wrongs.  This  was  the  man,  they  were  very  sure,  who  had 
fattened  upon  their  starvation. 

There  was  a  push  from  behind,  and  they  came  at  him 
pellmell.  The  landing  was  thick  with  smoke.  Stepping 
backward,  both  Marie  and  John  Peters  emptied  their 
revolvers  into  the  faces  of  the  mob.  In  that  last,  desperate 
struggle  no  one  heard  the  galloping  of  horses  below,  the 
roar  of  voices  sweeping  upward  from  the  street.  The 
two  were  forced  back  into  the  room,  and  the  woman,  with 
a  cry,  fell  backward,  striving  with  her  last  conscious  action 
to  cover  him  from  the  pistol  held  almost  to  his  temple. 
With  one  great  effort  he  freed  himself  from  all  of  them. 
His  sword,  broken  off  short,  and  streaming  with  blood,  he 


322  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

brandished  in  their  faces.  Then,  backing  to  the  wall,  he 
faced  them  defiantly,  still  prepared  to  fight  on  to  the  end. 
But  one  of  them,  a  little  dark-faced  man,  was  creeping  up 
now,  nearer  and  nearer  every  second,  until  at  last  he  drew 
a  knife  from  his  blouse  and,  springing  forward  suddenly, 
struck.  The  broken  sword  fell  from  John  Peters's  hand. 
He  fell  over  on  his  side,  close  to  where  Marie  was  lying; 
her  hand  somehow  reached  his  and  rested  there. 

"Brutes!"  he  muttered.  "I  am  sorry,  Marie!"  and 
closed  his  eyes. 

Then  there  came  bursting  into  the  room  men  of  different 
type,  Grammont  and  Bernhardt,  followed  by  a  crowd  of 
armed  soldiers.  Grammont's  face  was  black  with  fury, 
and  he  struck  the  man  who  was  standing  over  John  Peters's 
prostrate  body  such  a  blow  on  the  head  that  the  knife  slip- 
ped from  his  fingers,  and  he  went  reeling  across  the  room. 

"Assassins!  Murderers!"  he  shouted.  "Lieutenant, 
arrest  every  one  of  them.  You  fools,"  he  cried,  "  you  have 
killed  the  man  who  set  you  free!" 

John  Peters  opened  his  eyes  and  turned  his  head 
anxiously  toward  the  woman  who  lay  so  still  by  his  side. 
"Not  yet,"  he  answered  feebly.  "For  God's  sake,  some 
one  send  for  a  doctor  to  look  after  Marie.  I  should  have 
been  dead  but  for  her." 

Then  he  closed  his  eyes  again,  for  the  room  began  to 
swim. 


CHAPTER   XL 

TWO  Americans  were  standing  talking  together  in  a 
corner  of  the  somewhat  overcrowded  reception- 
room.  One  was  the  secretary  to  the  American  legation  at 
Varia;  the  other  was  a  friend,  a  traveller,  who  had  brought 
with  him  proper  credentials,  and  was  spending  a  few  weeks 
in  the  capital. 

"Well,"  the  secretary  said,"ours  is  a  marvellous  country, 
but  I  will  show  you  something  here  which  is  almost  as 
amazing.  You  see  where  the  president  and  his  wife 
are  standing  receiving?  Now,  do  you  see  those  two 
who  are  coming  up  the  stairs,  the  tall,  soldierly 
looking  man  with  the  scars  on  his  face,  and  the  beautiful 
woman?" 

"I  see  them,"  his  friend  answered.  "By  Jove,  the 
woman  is  handsome!" 

"You  hear  them  announced,"  the  secretary  continued, 
"Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Peters." 

"Evidently  friends  of  the  president's,"  the  other 
remarked,  as  he  watched  the  cordial  greetings  which  were 
going  on. 

The  secretary  smiled.     "You  have  been  out  of  the 

323 


324  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

world  for  many  years,"  he  said,    "and   I   know   that 

European  politics   do    not    interest   you    at    all.     You 

have    no    idea,    I    suppose,     who    Mr.    John     Peters 

is?" 

"Not  the  slightest,"  his  friend  answered. 

"You  remember  the  old  King  Ferdinand,  who  was 
compelled  to  fly  from  the  country  to  make  room  for  the 
republic?" 

His  friend  nodded.  "Yes,"  he  said,  "I  remember 
hearing  about  him.  He  died  a  few  weeks  afterward  in 
Paris,  didn't  he?" 

The  other  nodded.  "Well,  this  is  his  nephew,  the 
crown  prince  as  he  was  then,  Mr.  John  Peters  as  he  now 
calls  himself.  This  is  democracy,  if  you  like.  There  are 
no  end  of  stories  about,  but  I  believe  it  is  perfectly  true  that 
the  man  who  engineered  the  whole  revolution,  who  placed 
before  the  people  a  complete  scheme  of  government,  and 
who  has  some  of  the  finest  ideas  that  have  ever  been 
expressed  on  the  relative  position  of  the  state  and  the 
people,  is  that  man." 

His  friend  looked  with  curiosity  at  John  Peters,  who, 
limping  slightly,  was  looking  brown  and  well  and  was 
moving  about,  shaking  hands  right  and  left. 

"How  on  earth  did  he  reconcile  that  sort  of  thing," 
he  asked,  "with  his  position  as  crown  prince  of  the 
country?" 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  325 

"He  didn't  attempt  to,"  the  secretary  replied.  "He 
was  a  republican  by  conviction  from  the  first,  and  when  it 
was  decided  that  his  two  cousins  should  be  passed  over 
in  the  succession,  and  he  himself  was  adopted  by  King 
Ferdinand  as  heir  to  the  throne,  he  accepted  with  the 
secret  intention  of  transforming  the  government  of  the 
country  into  a  republic  as  quickly  as  he  could.  His 
methods  sound  rather  far-fetched  to  us,  but  I  suppose 
they  appealed  to  him  at  the  time;  perhaps,  even,  they  were 
the  best.  The  people  were  already  disgusted  with  his 
uncle's  deeds,  and  he  himself  had  a  foster-brother  who 
was  one  of  the  worst.  He  used  to  let  this  foster-brother 
scamper  about  Paris,  incognito  of  course,  but  always 
believed  to  be  the  crown  prince.  He  let  him  play  all  sorts 
of  tricks,  even  in  his  own  capital,  until  he  himself,  in  his 
false  personality,  was  hated  as  much  as  the  old  king. 
Then  he  started  a  socialist  campaign  throughout  the 
country.  He  spent  all  his  fortune  in  socialistic  literature 
and  in  having  the  people  educated  to  understand  the 
duties  of  self-government.  He  formed  a  party  in  the  city, 
of  which  he  was  the  real  head,  which  rapidly  became  so 
powerful  that  it  was  able,  when  the  time  came  and  the 
elections  of  the  country  gave  it  an  opportunity,  to  over- 
throw the  monarchy  and  establish  a  republic.  The  only 
person  who  came  out  of  the  whole  thing  badly  was  our 
friend  over  there,  whose  reputation  as  crown  prince  was 


326  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

so  bad  that  the  people  nearly  killed  him.  Later,  however, 
the  truth  leaked  out,  and  now  there  is  n't  another  man  so 
popular  in  all  the  country.  His  wife  is  partly  American, 
though,  and  they  are  here  for  only  about  two  months  in 
the  year." 

"I  should  like  to  meet  them,"  his  friend  remarked. 

"You  probably  will  if  you  stay  here  long,"  the  secretary 
answered.  "They  go  everywhere.  Come,  we  must  be 
moving  on." 

John  Peters  and  his  wife  found  it  hard  to  escape  from 
their  friends  that  evening.  It  was  only  the  second  of  the 
presidential  receptions,  and  the  rooms  were  thronged.  It 
was  Bernhardt  first  who  kept  them  talking. 

"I  do  not  think  you  ought  to  have  come,"  he 
said.  "Don't  you  know  that  the  Prince  de  Suess  is 
here?" 

John  Peters  laughed.  "He'll  never  forgive  me,"  he 
said.  "I  heard  him  explaining  only  a  fe\v  minutes 
ago  why  it  was  necessary  to  hold  those  sham  fights 
so  close  to  the  Bergeland  frontier.  Nothing  ever 
makes  him  so  angry  as  to  suggest  that  his  imperial 
master  would,  under  any  circumstances,  have  dreamed 
of  interfering  with  events  in  this  country.  Ah!  there 
is  Mademoiselle  de  Holdt.  I  must  speak  to  her  for 
one  moment." 

Mademoiselle  de  Holdt  was  talking  to  a  handsome 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  327 

young  officer,  but  she  turned  toward  John  Peters  at  once 
directly  she  met  his  smiling  glance. 

"Our  friend  the  president,"  he  said,  "is  making  a  very 
good  start,  but  I  have  been  telling  him  that  he  must  give  us 
a  dance  soon." 

She  looked  at  him  with  earnest  eyes.  "There  will 
never  be  any  dances,"  she  said,  "like  the  dances  at  the 
palace." 

"They  taught  me,"  he  answered,  "to  have  faith  in  our 
women." 

He  passed  on  to  rejoin  his  wife,  and  soon  after  they  made 
their  adieus.  It  was  getting  twilight  as  their  carriage 
rolled  on  through  the  park.  Through  the  trees  they  could 
see  the  curving  lights  of  the  great  city,  and  hear  the  hum 
of  its  distant  traffic.  They  passed  the  palace,  almost 
unrecognizable  through  the  scaffolding,  which  was  now 
being  transformed  into  a  national  museum.  Their  hands 
touched  and  gripped  each  other. 

"After  all,  those  were  wonderful  days,"  she 
murmured. 

He  laughed.  "Personally,"  he  said,  "I  was  beginning 
to  find  them  very  uncomfortable  ones.  Still,  it  is  some- 
thing to  have  lived  through  them.  I  must  confess  I  feel 
a  good  deal  more  comfortable  now  that  I  can  walk  down  to 
the  club  without  being  afraid  that  some  one  is  going  to 
try  to  rid  the  world  of  a  villain." 


328  THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH 

"What  a  character  you  had  in  those  days,"  she  said, 
smiling. 

"It  was  poor  Nicholas's  character,"  he  muttered  grimly. 
"The  idiot  overdid  the  thing,  of  course,  and  paid  the 
penalty.  I  saved  him  once,  but  no  power  on  earth  could 
save  him  the  second  time." 

"If  the  story  one  heard  was  true,"  she  answered,  "he 
deserved  to  die.  One  can't  help  wishing  — 

"I  know  what  you  were  going  to  say,"  he  interrupted, 
"and  yet  one  wonders  sometimes  whether  it  was  not  the 
best  end." 

The  carriage  stopped  at  the  top  of  a  hill,  and  they  both 
descended,  Grace  with  a  great  bunch  of  white  roses  in  her 
hand.  They  passed  between  a  yew  hedge,  up  some  stone 
steps,  into  a  tiny  chapel.  They  stopped  in  a  quiet  corner, 
where  upon  a  marble  slab  was  a  very  simple  inscription, 
"Marie,  who  died  for  a  friend."  The  white  roses  fell  in  a 
shower  over  the  little  tablet.  Some  one  was  playing  the 
organ  softly,  and  the  candles  burned  with  a  dim  light  over 
the  tomb.  They  stood  there  in  silence  for  a  minute,  and 
then  walked  back  to  where  the  carriage  was  waiting. 
Twilight  had  deepened  into  evening,  and  the  lights  of  the 
great  city,  which  stretched  away  on  every  side  below  them, 
flared  up  to  the  sky.  They  walked  in  silence  down  the 
path. 

"Life,"  she  said  softly,  "is  a   splendid  thing,  when 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  EARTH  329 

one  can  do  great  things  in  the  world;  but  there  are 
times,  though,  when  I  think  that  death  is  more 
splendid." 

"Too  often,"  he  answered,  looking  back  toward  the 
chapel,  "it  is  the  man  who  lives  and  the  woman  who 
dies." 

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bookseller   at   the    price    you   paid   for    this   volume 


Marcaria.     By  Augusta  J.  Evans. 

Mam'  Linda.    By  Will  N.  Harben. 

Maids  of  Paradise,  The.     By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Man  in  the  Corner,  The.     By  Baroness  Orczy. 

Marriage  A  La  Mode.     By  Mrs.  Humphry  Ward. 

Master  Mummer,  The.    By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Much  Ado  About  Peter.     By  Jean  Webster. 

Old,  Old  Story,  The.    By  Rosa  N.  Carey. 

Pardners.     By  Rex  Beach. 

Patience  of  John  Moreland,  The.    By  Mary  Dillon. 

Paul  Anthony,  Christian.     By  Hiram  W.  Hays. 

Prince  of  Sinners,  A.    By  E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Prodigious  Hickey,  The.    By  Owen  Johnson. 

Red  Mouse,  The.     By  William  Hamilton  Osborne. 

Refugees,  The.    By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 

Round  the  Corner  in  Gay  Street.    Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Rue :  With  a  Difference.    By  Rosa  N.  Carey. 

Set  in  Silver.    By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson. 

St.  Elmo.    By  Augusta  J.  Evans. 

Silver  Blade,  The.    By  Charles  E.  Walk. 

Spirit  in  Prison,  A.    By  Robert  Hichens. 

Strawberry  Handkerchief,  The.     By  Amelia  E.  Barr. 

Tess  of  the  D'Urbervilles.    By  Thomas  Hardy. 

Uncle  William.    By  Jennette  Lee. 

Way  of  a  Man,  The.    By  Emerson  Hough. 

Whirl,  The.    By  Foxcroft  Davis. 

With  Juliet  in  England.    By  Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Yellow  Circle,  The.    By  Charles  E.  Walk. 


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The  Shepherd  of  the  Hills.    By  Harold  Bell  Wright. 

Jane  Cable.    By  George  Barr  McCutcheon. 

Abner  Daniel.     By  Will  N.  Harben. 

The  Far  Horizon.     By  Lucas  Malet. 

The  Halo.     By  Bettina  von  Hutten. 

Jerry  Junior.    By  Jean  Webster. 

The  Powers  and  Maxine.     By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson. 

The  Balance  of  Power.    By  Arthur  Goodrich. 

Adventures  of  Captain  Kettle.    By  Cutcliffe  Hyne. 

Adventures  of  Gerard.     By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 

Adventures  of  Sherlock  Holmes.     By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 

Arms  and  the  Woman.    By  Harold  MacGrath. 

Artemus  Ward's  Works   (extra  illustrated). 

At  the  Mercy  of  Tiberius.     By  Augusta  Evans  Wilson. 

Awakening  of  Helena  Richie.     By  Margaret  Deland. 

Battle  Ground,  The.     By  Ellen  Glasgow. 

Belle  of  Bowling  Green,  The.     By  Amelia  E.  Barr. 

Ben  Blair.     By  Will  Lillibridge. 

Best  Man,  The.    By  Harold  MacGrath. 

Beth  Norvell.    By  Randall  Parrish. 

Bob  Hampton  of  Placer.    By  Randall  Parrish. 

Bob,  Son  of  Battle.     By  Alfred  Ollivant. 

Brass  Bowl,  The.    By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 

Brethren,  The.     By  H.  Rider  Haggard. 

Broken  Lance,  The.     By   Herbert   Quick. 

By  Wit  of  Women.    By  Arthur  W.  Marchmont. 

Call  of  the  Blood,  The.    By  Robert  Kitchens. 

Cap'n  Eri.     By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Cardigan.     By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Car  of  Destiny,  The.    By  C.  N.  and  A.  N.  Williamson. 

Casting  Away  of  Mrs.  Leeks  and  Mrs.  Aleshine.     By  Frank 

R.  Stockton. 
Cecilia's  Lovers.    By  Amelia  E.  Barr. 


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Circle,  The.     By  Katharine  Cecil  Thurston  (author  of  "The 

Masquerader."  "The  Gambler"). 

Colonial  Free  Lance,  A.    By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss. 
Conquest  of  Canaan,  The.    By  Booth  Tarkington. 
Courier  of  Fortune,  A.     By  Arthur  W.  Marchraont. 
Darrow  Enigma,  The.    By  Melvin  Severy. 
Deliverance,  The.     By  Ellen  Glasgow. 
Divine  Fire,  The.     By  May  Sinclair. 
Empire  Builders.    By  Francis  Lynde. 
Exploits  of  Brigadier  Gerard.    By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 
Fighting  Chance,  The.    By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 
For  a  Maiden  Brave.    By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss. 

Fugitive  Blacksmith,  The.     By  Chas.  D.  Stewart. 

God's  Good  Man.    By  Marie  Corelli. 

Heart's  Highway,  The.     By  Mary  E.  Wilkins. 

Holladay  Case,  The.    By  Burton  Egbert  Stevenson. 

Hurricane  Island.    By  H.  B.  Marriott  Watson. 

In  Defiance  of  the  King.     By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss. 

Indifference  of  Juliet,  The.     By  Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Infelice.     By  Augusta  Evans  Wilson. 

Lady  Betty  Across  the  Water.     By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Will- 
iamson. 

Lady  of  the  Mount,  The.    By  Frederic  S.  I  sham. 
Lane  That  Had  No  Turning,  The.    By  Gilbert  Parker. 
Langford  of  the  Three  Bars.     By  Kate  and  Virgil  D.  Boyles. 
Last  Trail,  The.     By  Zane  Grey. 
Leavenworth  Case,  The.    By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 
Lilac  Sunbonnet,  The.     By  S.  R.  Crockett. 
Lin  McLean.    By  Owen  Wister. 
Long  Night,  The.     By  Stanley  J.  Weyman. 
Maid  at  Arms,  The.    By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 


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Man  from  Red  Keg,  The.     By  Eugene  Thwing. 

Marthon  Mystery,  The.    By  Burton  Egbert  Stevenson. 

Memoirs  of  Sherlock  Holmes.    By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 

Millionaire  Baby,  The.     By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 

Missourian,  The.     By  Eugene  P.  Lyle,  Jr. 

Mr.  Barnes,  American.     By  A.  C.  Gunter. 

Mr.  Pratt.     By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

My  Friend  the  Chauffeur.    By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson. 

My  Lady  of  the  North.     By  Randall  Parrish. 

Mystery  of  June  13th.     By  Melvin  L.  Severy. 

Mystery  Tales.     By  Edgar  Allan  Poe. 

Nancy  Stair.     By  Elinor  Macartney  Lane. 

Order  No.  11.     By  Caroline  Abbot  Stanley. 

Pam.     By  Bettina  von  Hutten. 

Pam  Decides.    By  Bettina  von  Hutten. 

Partners  of  the  Tide.     By  Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Phra  the  Phoenician.     By  Edwin  Lester  Arnold. 

President,  The.    By  Afred  Henry  Lewis. 

Princess  Passes,  The.    By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson. 

Princess  Virginia,  The.     By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson. 

Prisoners.    By  Mary  Cholmondeley. 

Private  War,  The.    By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 

Prodigal  Son,  The.    By  Hall  Caine. 

Quickening,  The.    By  Francis  Lynde. 

Richard  the  Brazen.    By  Cyrus  T.  Brady  and  Edvr.  Peple. 

Rose  of  the  World.     By  Agnes  and  Egerton  Castle. 

Running  Water.    By  A.  E.  W.  Mason. 

Sarita  the  Carlist.     By  Arthur  W.  Marchmont. 

Seats  of  the  Mighty,  The.     By  Gilbert  Parker. 

Sir  Nigel.     By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 

Sir  Richard  Calmady.     By  Lucas  Malet. 

Speckled  Bird,  A.    By  Augusta  Evans  Wilson. 


Popular  Copyright  Books 

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bookseller  at  50  cents  per  volume. 


Spirit  of  the  Border,  The.     By  Zane  Grey. 

Spoilers,  The.     By  Rex  Beach. 

Squire  Phin.     By  Holman  F.  Day. 

Stooping  Lady,  The.       By  Maurice  Hewlett. 

Subjection  of  Isabel  Carnaby.  By  Ellen  Thorneycroft  Fowler. 

Sunset  Trail,  The.     By  Alfred  Henry  Lewis. 

Sword  of  the  Old  Frontier,  A.     By  Randall  Parrish. 

Tales  of  Sherlock  Holmes.     By  A.  Conan  Doyle. 

That  Printer  of  Udell's.     By  Harold  Bell  Wright. 

Throwback,  The.     By  Alfred  Henry  Lewis. 

Trail  of  the  Sword,  The.     By  Gilbert  Parker. 

Treasure  of  Heaven,  The.     By  Marie  Corelli. 

Two  Vanrevels,  The.     By  Booth  Tarkington. 

Up  From  Slavery.     By  Booker  T.  Washington. 

Vashti.     By  Augusta  Evans   Wilson. 

Viper  of  Milan,  The  (original  edition).     By  Marjorie  Bowen. 

Voice  of  the  People,  The.    By  Ellen  Glasgow. 

Wheel  of  Life,  The.     By  Ellen  Glasgow. 

When  Wilderness  Was  King.    By  Randall  Parrish. 

Where  the  Trail  Divides.     By  Will  Lillibridge. 

Woman  in  Grey,  A.     By  Mrs.  C.  N.  Williamson. 

Woman  in  the  Alcove,  The.     By  Anna  Katharine  Green. 

Younger  Set,  The.     By  Robert  W.  Chambers. 

The  Weavers.    By  Gilbert  Parker. 

The  Little  Brown  Jug  at  Kildare.    By  Meredith  Nicholson. 

The  Prisoners  of  Chance.     By  Randall  Parrish. 

My  Lady  of  Cleve.    By  Percy  J.  Hartley. 

Loaded  Dice.     By  Ellery  H.  Clark. 

Get  Rich  Quick  Wallingford.     By  G-?orse  Randolph  Chester, 

The  Orphan.     By  Clarence  Mulford. 

A  Gentleman  of  France.    By  Stanley  J.  Weyman. 


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bookseller  at  50  cents  per  volume. 


Purple  Parasol,  The.    By  George  Barr  McCutcheon. 
Princess  Dehra,  The.    By  John  Reed  Scott. 
Making  of  Bobby  Burnit,  The.    By  George  Randolph 
Chester. 

Last  Voyage  of  the  Donna  Isabel,  The.     By  Randall 

Parrish. 

Bronze  Bell,  The.    By  Louis  Joseph  Vance. 
Pole  Baker.    By  Will  N.  Harben. 
Four  Million,  The.    By  O.  Henry. 
Idols.    By  William  J.  Locke. 
Wayfarers,  The.    By  Mary  Stewart  Cutting. 
Held  for  Orders.    By  Frank  H.  Spearman. 
Story  of  the  Outlaw,  The.    By  Emerson  Hough. 
Mistress  of  Brae  Farm,  The.    By  Rosa  N.  Carey. 
Explorer,  The.    By  William  Somerset  Maugham. 
Abbess  of  Vlaye,  The.    By  Stanley  Weyman. 
Alton  of  Somasco.    By  Harold  Bindloss. 
Ancient  Law,  The.    By  Ellen  Glasgow. 
Barrier,  The.    By  Rex  Beach. 
Bar  20.    By  Clarence  E.  Mulford. 
Beloved  Vagabond,  The.    By  William  J.  Locke. 
Beulah.    (Illustrated  Edition.)    By  Augusta  J.  Evans. 
Chaperon,  The.    By  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson. 
Colonel  Greatheart.    By  H.  C.  Bailey. 
Dissolving  Circle,  The.    By  Will  Lillibridge. 
Elusive  Isabel.    By  Jacques  Futrelle. 
Fair  Moon  of  Bath,  The.    By  Elizabeth  Ellis. 
54-40  or  Fight.    By  Emerson  Hough. 


Good  Fiction  Worth  Reading* 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favorites  in  the  field 
of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful  romances  of  love  and  diplomacy 
that  excel  in  thrilling  and  absorbing  interest. 


DARNLBY.  A  Romance  of  the  times  of  Henry  VIII.  and  Cardinal  Wolsey. 
By  G.  P.  R.  James.  Cloth,  121110.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis. 
Itice,  $1.00. 

In  point  of  publication,  "Darnley"  Is  that  work  by  Mr.  James  which 
follows  "Richelieu,"  and,  if  rumor  can  be  credited,  It  was  owing  to  the  ad- 
Ylce  and  insistence  of  our  own  Washington  Irving  that  we  are  Indebted 
primarily  for  the  story,  the  young  author  questioning  whether  he  could 
properly  paint  the  difference  in  the  characters  of  the  two  great  cardinals. 
And  It  is  not  surprising  that  James  should  have  hesitated;  he  had  been 
eminently  successful  in  giving  to  the  world  the  portrait  of  Richelieu  as  a 
man,  and  by  attempting  a  similar  task  with  Wolsey  as  the  theme,  was 
much  like  tempting  fortune.  Irving  insisted  that  "Darnley"  came  natur- 
ally In  sequence,  and  this  opinion  toeing  supported  by  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
the  author  set  about  the  work. 

AB  a  historical  romance  "Darnley"  Is  a  book  that  can  be  taken  up 
pleaiurably  again  and  again,  for  there  Is  about  it  that  subtle  charm  which 
those  who  are  strangers  to  the  works  of  G.  P.  R.  James  have  claimed  was 
only  to  be  imparted  by  Dumas. 

If  there  was  nothing  more  about  the  work  to  attract  especial  attention. 
the  account  of  the  meeting  of  the  kings  on  the  historic  "fleld  of  the  cloth  of 
»old"  would  entitle  the  story  to  the  most  favorable  consideration  of  every 
reader. 

There  Is  really  but  little  pure  romance  In  this  story,  for  the  author  has 
taken  care  to  imagine  love  passages  only  between  those  whom  history  ha« 
credited  with  haying  entertained  the  tender  passion  one  for  another,  and 
It*  succeeds  in  making:  such  lovers  as  all  the  world  must  love. 


CAPTAIN  BRAND,  OP  THE   SCHOONER  CENTIPEDE.    By 

Henry  A.  Wise,    U.  S.  N.    (Harry  Gringo).     Cloth,  121.10.  with  four  illustra- 
tions by  J.  Watson  Davis.    Price,  |i.oo. 

The  re-publication  of  this  story  'will  please  those  lovers  of  sea  yarn* 
who  delight  in  so  much  of  the  salty  flavor  of  the  ocean  as  can  come  through 
the  medium  of  a  printed  page,  for  never  has  a  story  of  the  sea  and  those 
•'who  go  down  in  ships"  been  written  by  one  more  familiar  with  the  scene* 
depicted. 

The  one  book  of  this  gifted  author  which  Is  best  remembered,  and  which 
will  be  read  with  pleasure  for  many  years  to  come,  is  "Captain  Brand," 
•who,  as  the  author  states  on  his  title  page,  was  a  "pirate  of  eminence  In 
the  West  Indies."  As  a  sea  story  pure  and  simple,  "Captain  Brand"  ha« 
never  been  excelled,,  and  as  a  story  of  piratical  life,  told  without  the  usual 
embellishments  of  blood  and  thunder,  It  has  no  equal. 

NICK  OP  THE  WOODS.  A  story  of  the  Early  Settlers  of  Kentucky.  By 
Robert  Montgomery  Bird.  Cloth,  I2mo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson 
Davis.  Price,  Ji.oo. 

This  most  popular  novel  and  thrilling  story  of  early  frontier  life  In 
Kentucky  was  originally  published  In  the  year  1837.  The  novel,  long  out  of 
print,  had  in  Us  day  a  phenomenal  sale,  for  its  realistic  presentation  of 
Indian  and  frontier  life  In  the  early  days  of  settlement  in  the  South,  nar- 
rated In  the  tale  with  all  the  art  of  a  practiced  writer.  A  vpry  charming 
love  romance  runs  through  the  story-  This  new  and  tasteful  edition  of 
"Nick  of  the  Woods"  will  be  certain  to  make  many  new  admirers  for 
this  enchanting  story  from  Dr.  Bird's  clever  and  versatile  pen. 

Xtor  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  pub« 
lishers,  A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  53-58  Duane  St.,  New  York. 


Good  Fiction  Worth  Reading. 

A  aeries  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favorites  in  the  field 
of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful  romances  of  love  and  diplomacy 
that  excel  in  thrilling  and  absorbing  interest. 


WINDSOR  CASTLE.  A  Historical  Romance  of  the  Reignof  Henrj  \'vr., 
Catharine  of  Aragon  and  Anne  Boleyn.  By  Wm.  Harrison  Ainsworth.  CloUi 
i2mo.  with  four  illustrations  by  George  Cruikshank.  Price,  $1.00. 

"Windsor  Castle"  Is  the  story  of  Henry  VIII.,  Catharine.  and  Anne  i 
Boleyn.  "Bluff  King  Hal,"  although  a  well-loved  monarch,  was  non?  t-  •» 
good  a  one  In  many  ways.  Of  all  his  selfishness  and  unwarrantable  act/, 
none  was  more  discreditable  than  his  divorce  from  Catharine,  and  his  mar- 
riage to  the  beautiful  Anne  Boleyn.  The  King's  love  was  as  brief  as  it 
was  vehement.  Jane  Seymour,  waiting  maid  on  the  Que^n.  attracted  him, 
and  Anne  Boleyn  was  forced  to  the  block  to  make  room  ior  her  successor. 
Xhia  romance  is  one  of  extreme  interest  to  all  readers. 

HORSESHOE  ROBINSON.  A  tale  of  the  Tory  Ascendency  in  South  Caro- 
lina in  i/So.  By  John  P.  Kennedy.  Cloth,  lamo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J. 
WaUon  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

Among  the  old  favorites  In  the  field  of  what  Is  known  as  historical  flc- 
tion,  there  are  none  which  appeal  to  a  larger  number  of  Americans  than 
Horseshoe  Robinson,  and  this  because  it  is  the  only  story  wliich  depict* 
*yith  fidelity  to  the  facts  the  heroic  efforts  of  the  colonists  in  South  Caro- 
lina to  defend  their  homes  against  the  brutal  oppression  of  the  British 
under  such  leaders  as  Cornwallis  and  Tarleton. 

The  reader  is  charmed  with  the  story  of  love  which  forms  the  three <1 
of  the  tale,  and  then  impressed  with  the  wealth  of  detail  concerning  those 
times.  The  picture  of  the  manifold  sufferings  of  the  people,  Is  never  over- 
drawn, but  painted  faithfully  and  honestly  by  one  who  spared  neither 
time  nor  labor  in  his  efforts  to  present  in  this  charming  love  story  all  that 
price  in  blood  and  tears  which  the  Carolinians  paid  as  their  share  in  tha 
winning  of  the  republic. 

Take  it  all  in  all,  "Horseshoe  Robinson"  is  a  work  which  should  be 
found  on  every  book-shelf,  not  only  because  it  is  a  most  entertaining 
story,  but  because  of  the  wealth  of  valuable  Information  concerning  the 
colonists  which  it  contains.  That  it  has  been  brought  out  once  more,  well 
Illustrated,  is  something  which  will  give  pleasure  to  thousands  who  have 
long  desired  an  opportunity  to  read  the  story  again,  and  to  the  many  who 
have  tried  vainly  in  these  latter  days  to  procure  a  copy  that  they  might 
read  it  for  the  first  time. 

THE  PEARL  OP  ORR'S  ISLAND.  A  story  of  the  Coast  of  Maine.  By 
Harriet  Beecher  Stowe.  Cloth,  iztno.  Illustrated.  Price,  $1.00. 

Written  prior  to  1882,  the  "Pearl  of  Orr's  Island"  Is  ever  new;  a  book 
filled  with  delicate  fancies,  such  as  seemingly  array  themselves  anew  ear'i 
time  one  reads  them.  One  sees  the  "sea  like  an  unbroken  mirror  a'l 
around  the  pine-girt,  lonely  shores  of  Orr's  Island,"  and  straightway 
comes  "the  heavy,  hollow  moan  of  the  surf  on  the  beach,  like  the  wilj 
engry  howl  of  some  savage  animal." 

Who  can  read  of  the  beginning  of  that  sweet  life,  named  Mara,  which 
came  Into  this  world  under  the  very  shadow  of  the  Death  angel's  wings, 
•without  having  an  intense  desire  to  know  how  the  premature  bud  blos- 
somed? Again  and  again  one  lingers  over  the  descriptions  of  the  char- 
acter of  that  baby  boy  Moses,  who  came  through  the  tempest,  amid  th« 
ftngrv  billows,  pillowed  on,  his  dead  mother's  breast. 

There  is  no  more  faithful  portrayal  of  New  England  life  than  that 
which  Mrs.  Stowe  gives  in  "Tha  Pearl  of  Orr's  Island." 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  pub« 
Ushers,  A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  52-58  Duane  St.,  New  York. 


Good  Fiction  Worth  Reading. 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favorite*  in  the  field 
of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful  romances  of  love  and  diplomacy 
that  excel  in  thrilling  and  absorbing  interest. 


GUY  FAWKES.  A  Romance  of  the  Gunpowder  Treason.  By  Wm.  Harri- 
son Ainsworth.  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustrations  by  George  Cruikshank. 
Price,  $1.00. 

The  "Gunpowder  Plot"  was  a  modest  attempt  to  blow  up  Parliament, 
the  King  and  his  Counsellors.  James  of  Scotland,  then  King  of  England, 
was  weak-minded  and  extravagant.  He  hit  upon  the  efficient  scheme  of 
extorting  money  from  the  people  by  Imposing  taxes  on  the  Catholics.  In 
their  natural  resentment  to  this  extortion,  a  handful  of  bold  spirits  con- 
cluded to  overthrow  the  government.  Finally  the  plotters  were  arrested, 
and  the  King  put  to  torture  Guy  Fawkes  and  the  other  prisoners  with 
royal  vigor.  A  very  intense  love  story  runs  through  the  entire  romance. 

THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  BORDER.  A  Romance  of  the  Early  Settlers  In  the 
OV.o  Valley.  By  Zane  Grey.  Cloth.  12010.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson. 
Davis.  Price,  Ji. oo. 

A  book  rather  out  of  the  ordinary  is  this  "Spirit  of  the  Border."  Th« 
main  thread  of  the  story  has  to  do  with  the  work  of  the  Moravian  mis- 
sionaries in  the  Ohio  Valley.  Incidentally  the  reader  is  given  details  of  th« 
frontier  life  of  those  hardy  pioneers  who  broke  the  wilderness  for  the  plant- 
Ing  of  this  great  nation.  Chief  among  these,  as  a  matter  of  course,  la 
Lewis  Wetzel,  one  of  the  most  peculiar,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most 
admirable  of  all  the  brave  men  who  spent  their  lives  battling  with  the 
savage  foe,  that  others  might  dwell  in  comparative  security. 

Details  of  the  establishment  and  destruction  of  the  Moravian  "Village 
of  Peace"  are  given  at  some  length,  and  with  minute  description.  The 
efforts  to  Christianize  the  Indians  are  described  as  they  never  have  been 
before,  and  the  author  has  depicted  the  characters  of  the  leaders  of  the 
several  Indian  tribes  with  great  care,  which  of  itself  will  be  of  interest  to 
the  student. 

By  no  means  least  among  the  charms  of  the  story  are  the  vlvfd  word- 
pictures  of  the  thrilling  adventures,  and  the  Intense  paintings  of  the  beau- 
ties of  nature,  as  seen  in  the  almost  unbroken  forests. 

It  is  the  spirit  of  the  frontier  which  is  described,  and  one  can  by  It, 
perhaps,  the  better  understand  why  men,  and  women,  too,  willingly  braved 
every  privation  and  danger  that  the  westward  progress  of  the  star  of  em- 
pire might  be  the  more  certain  and  rapid.  A  love  story,  simple  and  tender, 
runs  through  the  book. 

RICHELIEU.  A  tale  of  France  in  the  reign  of  King  £ouis  Xm.  By  G.  P. 
R.  James.  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  fc'i.oo. 

In  1829  Mr.  James  published  his  first  romance,  "Richelieu,"  and  was 
lecognized  at  once  as  one  of  the  masters  of  the  craft. 

In  this  book  he  laid  the  story  during  those  later  days  of  the  great  car- 
dinal's life,  when  his  power  was  beginning  to  wane,  but  while  it  was 
yet  sufficiently  strong  to  permit  now  and  then  of  rolcanic  outbursts  which 
overwhelmed  foes  and  carried  friends  to  the  topmost  wave  of  prosperity. 
One  of  the  most  striking  portions  of  the  story  is  that  of  Cinq  Mar's  consi.ir- 
sacy;  the  method  of  conducting  criminal  cases,  and  the  political  trickery 
resorted  to  by  royal  favorites,  affording  a  better  insight  into  the  state- 
craft of  that  day  than  can  be  had  even  by  an  exhaustive  study  of  history. 
It  is  a  powerful  romance  of  love  and  diplomacy,  and  in  point  of  thrilling 
and  absorbing  interest  has  never  been  excelled. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  pub* 
lishers,  A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  53-58  Duano  St.,  New  York. 


Cood  Fiction  Worth  Reading. 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favorites  in  the  field 
of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful  romances  of  love  and  diplomacy 
that  excel  in  thrilling  and  absorbing  interest. 


A  COLONIAL  FREE-LANCE.  A  story  of  American  Colonial  Times.  By 
Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss.  Cloth,  iznio.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson 
Davis.  Price,  |i.oa 

A  book  that  appeals  to  Americans  as  a  vivid  picture  of  Revolutionary 
scenes.  The  story  is  a  strong  one,  a  thrilling  one.  It  causes  the  true 
American  to  flush  with  excitement,  to  devour  chapter  after  chapter,  until 
the  eyes  smart,  and  it  fairly  smokes  with  patriotism.  The  love  story  is  a 
singularly  charming  idyl. 

THE  TOWER  OF  LONDON.  A  Historical  Romance  of  the  Times  of  Lady 
Jane  Grey  and  Mary  Tudor.  By  Wm.  Harrison  Ainsworth.  Cloth,  izmo.  with 
four  illustrations  by  George  Cruikshank.  Price,  $1.00. 

This  romance  of  the  "Tower  of  London"  depicts  the  Tower  as  palace, 
prison  and  fortress,  with  many  historical  associations.  The  era  ia  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

The  story  is  divided  into  two  parts,  one  dealing  with  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
and  the  other  with  Mary  Tudor  as  Queen,  introducing  other  notable  char- 
acters of  the  era.  Throughout  the  story  holds  the  interest  of  the  reader 
In  the  midst  of  intrigue  and  conspiracy,  extending  considerably  over  a 
half  a  century. 

IN  DEFIANCE  OF  THE  KING.  A  Romance  of  the  American  Revolution. 
By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss.  Cloth,  I2mo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson 
Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

Mr.  Hotchkiss  has  etched  In  burning  words  a  story  of  Yankee  bravery, 
and  true  love  that  thrills  from  beginning  to  end,  with  the  spirit  of  the 
Revolution.  The  heart  beats  quickly,  and  we  feel  ourselves  taking  a 
part  in  the  exciting  scenes  described.  Hie  whole  story  is  so  absorbing 
that  you  will  sit  up  far  into  the  night  to  finish  it.  As  a  love  romance 
It  is  charming. 

GARTHOWEN.  A  story  of  a  Welsh  Homestead.  By  Allen  Raine.  Cloth, 
I2tno.  with  four  illustrations  by  *.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  Ji.oo. 

"This  Is  a  little  Idyl  of  humble  life  and  enduring  love,  laid  bare  before 
us,  very  real  and  pure,  which  in  its  telling  shows  us  some  strong  points  of 
\v  elsh  character — the  pride,  the  hasty  temper,  the  quick  dying  out  of  wrath. 
We  call  this  a  well-written  story,  interesting  alike  through  Hi 
romance  and  its  glimpses  into  another  life  than  ours.  A  delightful  ami 
clever  picture  of  Welsh  village  life.  The  result  is  excellent."— Detroit  Fi-e« 
Fresi. 

MIFANWY.  The  story  of  a  Welsh  Sieger.  By  Allan  Raine.  Cloth, 
amo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

"This  Is  a  love  story,  simple,  tender  and  pretty  as  one  would  care  to 
read.  The  action  throughout  is  brisk  and  pleasing;  the  characters,  it  is  ap- 
parent at  once,  are  as  true  to  life  as  though  the  author  had  known  them 
all  personally.  Simple  in  all  its  situations,  the  story  is  worked  up  in  that 
touching  and  quaint  strain  which  never  grows  wearisome,  no  matter  how 
often  the  lights  and  shadows  of  love  are  introduced.  It  rings  true,  and 
does  not  tax  the  Imagination."— Boston  Herald. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by 

Ushers,  A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  53-58  Duane  St.,  New  York 


GOOD  FICTION  WORTH  READINO 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favor- 
ites in  the  field  of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful 
romances  of  love  and  diplomacy  that  excel  in  thrilling  and 
absorbing  interest. 

ROB  OF  THE  BOWL.  A  Story  of  the  Early  Days  of 
Maryland.  By  John  P.  Kennedy.  Cloth,  12mo.  Four  page 
illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

This  story  Js  an  authentic  exposition  of  the  manners  and  customs  dur- 
ing Lord  Baltimore's  rule.  The  greater  portion  of  the  action  takes  place 
in  St.  Mary's — the  original  capital  of  the  State. 

The  quaint  character  of  Rob,  the  loss  of  whose  legs  was  supplied  by  a 
wooden  bowl  strapped  to  his  thighs,  his  misfortunes  and  mother  wit,  far 
outshine  those  fair  to  look  upon.  Pirates  and  smugglers  did  Rob  consort 
with  for  gain,  and  it  was  to  him  that  Blanche  Werden  owed  her  life  and 
her  happiness,  as  the  author  has  told  us  in  such  an  enchanting  manner. 

As  a  series  of  pictures  of  early  colonial  life  in  Maryland,  "Rob  of  the 
Bowl"  has  no  equal.  The  story  is  full  of  splendid  action,  with  a  charming 
love  story,  and  a  plot  that  never  loosenis  the  grip  of  its  interest  to  its  last 
page. 

TICONDEROGA.  A  Story  of  Early  Frontier  Life  in  the 
Mohawk  Valley.  By  G.  P.  R.  James.  Cloth,  12mo.  Four 
page  illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

The  setting  of  the  story  is  decidedly  more  picturesque  than  any  ever 
evolved  by  Cooper.  The  story  is  located  on  the  frontier  of  New  York 
State.  The  principal  characters  in  the  story  include  an  English  gentleman, 
his  beautiful  daughter,  Lord  Howe,  and  certain  Indian  sachems  belonging 
to  the  Five  Nations,  and  t!  e  story  ends  with  the  Battle  of  Ticonderoga. 

The  character  of  Captain  Brooks,  who  voluntarily  decides  to  sacrifice 
his  own  life  in  order  to  save  the  son  of  the  Englishman,  is  not  among  the 
least  of  the  attractions  of  this  story,  which  holds  the  attention  of  the  reader 
even  to  the  last  page. 

Interwoven  with  the  plot  is  the  Indian  "blood"  law,  which  demands  a 
life  for  a  life,  whether  it  be  that  of  the  murderer  or  one  of  his  race.  A 
more  charming  story  of  mingled  love  and  adventure  has  never  been  written 
than  "Ticonderoga." 

MARY  DERWENT.  A  tale  of  the  Wyoming  Valley  in 
1778.  By  Mrs.  Ann  S.  Stephens.  Coth,  12mo.  Four  illustra- 
tions by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

The  scene  of  this  fascinating  story  of  early  frontier  life  is  laid  in  the 
Valley  of  Wyoming.  Aside  from  Mary  Derwent,  who  is  of  course  the 
heroine,  the  story  deals  with  Queen  Esther's  son,  Giengwatah,  the  Butlers 
of  notorious  memory,  and  the  adventures  of  the  Colonists  with  the  Indians. 

Though  much  is  made  of  the  Massacre  of  Wyoming,  a  great  portion 
of  the  tale  describes  the  love  making  between  Mary  Derwent's  sister,  Walter 
Butler,  and  one  of  the  defenders  of  Forty  Fort. 

This  historical  novel  stands  out  bright  and  pleasing,  because  of  the 
mystery  and  notoriety  of  several  of  the  actors,  the  tender  love  scenes, 
descriptions  of  the  different  localities,  and  the  struggles  of  the  settlers. 
It  holds  the  attention  of  the  reader  even  to  the  last  page. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of 
price  by  the  publishers,  A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  52-58 
Duane  St.,  New  York. 


OOOD  FICTION  WORTH  READING 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favor- 
ites in  the  field  of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful 
romances  of  love  and  diplomacy  that  excel  in  thrilling  and 
absorbing  interest. 


THE  LAST  TRAIL.  A  story  of  early  days  in  the  Ohio 
Valley.  By  Zane  Grey.  Cloth,  12mo.  Four  page  illustra- 
tions by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

"The  Last  Trail"  is  a  story  of  the  border.  The  scene  is  laid  at  Fort 
Henry,  where  Col.  Ebenezer  Zane  with  his  family  have  built  up  a  village 
despite  the  attacks  of  savages  and  renegades.  The  Colonel's  brother  and 
Wetzel,  known  as  Deathwind  by  the  Indians,  are  the  borderineu  who  devote 
their  lives  to  the  welfare  of  the  white  people.  A  splendid  love  story  runs 
through  the  book. 

That  Helen  Sheppard,  the  heroine,  should  fall  in  love  with  such  a 
brave,  skilful  scout  as  Jonathan  Zane  seems  only  reasonable  after  his  years 
of  association  and  defense  of  the  people  of  the  settlement  from  savages  and 
renegades. 

If  one  has  a  liking  for  stories  of  the  trail,  where  the  white  man  matches 
brains  against  savage  cunning,  for  tales  of  ambush  and  constant  striving  for 
the  mastery,  "The  Last  Trail"  will  be  greatly  to  his  liking. 

THE  KNIGHTS  OF  THE  HORSESHOE.  A  tradition- 
ary tale  of  the  Cocked  Hat  Gentry  in  the  Old  Dominion.  By 
Dr.  Wm.  A.  Caruthers.  Cloth,  12mo.  Four  page  illustra- 
tions by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

Many  will  hail  with  delight  the  re-publication  of  this  rare  and  justly 
famous  story  of  early  American  colonial  life  and  old-time  Virginian 
hospitality. 

Much  that  is  charmingly  interesting  will  be  found  in  this  tale  that  so 
faithfully  depicts  early  American  colonial  life,  and  also  here  is  found  all 
the  details  of  the  founding  of  the  Tramontane  Order,  around  which  has 
ever  been  such  a  delicious  flavor  of  romance. 

Early  customs,  much  love  making,  plantation  life,  politics,  intrigues,  and 
finally  that  wonderful  march  across  the  mountains  ^which  resulted  in  the 
lihcovery  and  conquest  of  the  fair  Valley  of  Virginia.  A  rare  book  filled 
.vith  a  delicious  flavor  of  romance. 

BY  BERWEN  BANKS.  A  Romance  of  Welsh  Life.  By 
Allen  Raine.  Cloth,  12mo.  Four  page  illustrations  by  J. 
Watson  Davis.  Price  $1.00. 

It  is  a  tender  and  beautiful  romance_  of  the  idyllic.  A  charming  picture 
of  life  in  a  Welsh  seaside  village.  It  is  something  of  a  prose-poem,  true, 
tender  and  graceful. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of 
price  by  the  publishers,  A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  52-58 
Duane  St.,  New  York. 


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